maroon
by DiscordianSamba
Summary: With Zarkon stalking the paladins across galaxies, Keith is left facing a choice, as events draw him ever closer to the Blade of Marmora. The prospect of returning home thrills him- but he knows that in order to forge an alliance, the truth must come out- that he is neither who, nor what, the paladins think he is. (sequel to burgundy, BOM!Keith AU)
1. wormhole

Hello friends, it's sequel time! Finally, at last! I've been a little preoccupied over the past few days- our refrigerator broke down, which is always fun, so I've been a bit busy dealing with that, but I did finally get around to find some time to actually sit down and write. We start off with a heaping helping of canon divergence, right off the bat!

So, join me, on this new adventure- let's tackle season two!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter one**

 **wormhole**

* * *

He came to his senses slowly.

Drawing in a breath brought a sharp surge of pain, reminding him of the deep gash the witch had left behind, if nothing else. Groaning, Shiro pressed his hand up against it, the pressure giving him some small form of relief, though not much.

At least he could use the pain to ground himself.

Grunting, Shiro leaned back in his chair, trying to sort his thoughts. They had been on a rescue mission, to save Princess Allura from Central Command, when...

Eyes snapping open, he felt a cold shiver run down the length of his spine. Memories came back to him at once, like a flood, and he almost wished they hadn't- or at least, that they'd taken their time.

The wormhole.

Being separated.

Keith _screaming_.

Drawing in a long, if not painful breath, Shiro shut his eyes, trying to drown out the sound that still lingered in his ears. One thing at a time.

First, he needed to try and find out where he had landed. Grunting at the effort, he leaned forward, opening his eyes once more. A quick check revealed that the black lion's main systems were down- and so were any means of sending out a signal, or even discerning his location.

It hadn't taken much damage in the fight, but maybe Zarkon's attempts to take it over had done more than he'd first thought. Either that, or it had been the crash landing.

In his defense, ace pilot or not, he wasn't _exactly_ in his prime condition here.

Leaning back in his chair once more, he forced himself to take in another long, steadying breath. Tapping the side of his helmet with his free hand, he could only make out static. "Hello? Anyone there?"

Nothing.

From the sound of it, he had landed here alone- wherever _here_ was.

Grunting, Shiro got to his feet, one hand still resting firmly on his wound. Removing it for a second, he winced at the sight of it- not only was it as deep as he thought, it was also _glowing_.

That was new.

Letting out a long sigh, he pulled his hand fully away. He needed to try and establish where he was, and figure out a way to get back into contact with the others.

He could only pray that someone had landed with Keith. That scream he'd let out... it was like nothing he had ever heard before, much less from Keith.

And nothing he ever wished to hear again.

Whatever they'd done to the wormhole, it had obviously affected him too. He didn't have a clear understanding as to how exactly Keith's psychic powers worked, but if he could feel the Balmera dying under his feet, it was safe to say he could feel the wormhole's corruption.

And not just that, either.

With a shudder, his thoughts drifted back, to when Voltron had split apart. He hadn't had much time to dwell on it then, and it had only been for an instant, but in that instant, he'd felt...

He didn't know, exactly. All he'd known was that it had come from Keith's end of the bond, and that whatever it was, he never wanted to feel anything like it again.

He didn't even want to imagine what Keith had been feeling when they'd gone through the wormhole. He'd been through a lot in the past year, even if he couldn't remember more than half of it, but that _scream_... he didn't know if he'd be able to handle feeling what caused it.

One thing was for sure- if he managed to get out of this one, he owed Keith an apology. He had done the right thing, telling them the truth, and though he'd promised to look after him, it was clear that he'd failed spectacularly at that.

One could argue that he couldn't have possibly _known_ that something like this might happen, but that... still didn't sit right with him. It was the truth, but it just sounded like an excuse, if anything.

Getting the cockpit hatch open wasn't easy, his injury screaming at him as he moved, but he finally forced it open. Taking a breath of fresh air, he was grateful that the planet that he'd landed on had oxygen- though not much else. It was all but a barren wasteland out there, not a soul in sight.

Groaning, Shiro sat back, resting one hand on the black lion. Closing his eyes, he reached out to the bond they shared- and to his relief, got something back.

Not much, but that was probably because it was largely offline at the moment.

What had that been, back there? It was like the black lion had been taken over, forcing him out.

And that... that weapon, that Zarkon had been using against the red lion, against _Keith_... he hadn't gotten a good look at it, but he felt fairly certain that had been a bayard.

Had _Zarkon_ been the previous black paladin? Was that even possible?

Come to think of it, Allura had never told them anything about the previous paladins. He'd never thought to ask, either- he'd just assumed that they all had been lost in the same war the Altean home world had fallen in.

Maybe he should have.

But that was neither here, nor there. Right now, he had to focus on two things- surviving, and hopefully, if he could do that, somehow getting back into contact with the others.

To do the latter, he'd have to wait for the black lion to come back online. And to do that, he'd have to do the former, one way or another.

Pressing his hand against his side, Shiro made his way carefully down the black lion, feet striking solid, if not dusty ground. The place appeared to almost be some kind of vast, rocky desert- and he couldn't help but let out a faint snort at that, recalling Keith's tiny desert shack.

Where had he even _found_ that thing anyways?

God, Keith.

He didn't consider himself much of one for prayer, but right now, he prayed that he was alright. He had pulled through after the Balmera, but that scream had been...

He wasn't going to forget it in a hurry.

He was a tough kid, though. Maybe more so than he'd ever given him credit for.

Although trying to take on Zarkon himself... yeah, he was going to be having a few words with him about that, provided he managed to pull through. Provided that they _both_ pulled through.

(If it had to be one or the other, he hoped it would be Keith.)

Letting out a sigh, he pushed aside such thoughts, instead trying to get a better look at just where he had landed. At first glance, it appeared to be at the bottom of some kind of steep cavern, maybe a canyon- but a quick study proved that there was a way to get to the top, one that he couldn't tell if it were of nature's design or not.

At least it would be difficult for any passing ships to spot the black lion. No doubt Zarkon had put out some kind of edict to find the missing Voltron lions, _especially_ the black lion.

But this deep down, it would be hard to get a signal out. Not to mention it made him easy to sneak up on.

That one proved itself to be true faster than he could have ever expected.

"Freeze."

Breath hitching in his throat, Shiro just barely made out the whirring sound he had come to associate with a blaster being charged. It was a woman who spoke- her tone cold, _military_.

"Hands up." Her words were curt, tone commanding. "Turn around- slowly."

Doing what she said, Shiro raised his hands, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused him. He couldn't afford to show weakness in front of the enemy like this- and turning around revealed that's just where he found himself- in front of the enemy.

Galra.

Just his luck.

Judging by the markings on her armor, she must have been a lieutenant commander at least, or another officer of equally high rank. She was tall, as most Galra were, but what struck him the most about her was not her rank, nor her height.

It was her eyes.

She had _pupils_.

Her sclera were yellow, just as any other Galra's, but her pupils... the iris was a violet so striking, that it was almost unsettling.

Mostly because the only other person he'd seen with eyes like that was _Keith_.

Shoving that thought out of his mind, along with the twinge of guilt that came with it, Shiro braced himself. He didn't know how much of a fight he had left in him, but he wasn't about to give up and hand the black lion over to the Galra Empire that easily.

Except what the Galra did next made no sense to him.

He'd expected... well, he wasn't sure. She didn't seem like the shoot first, ask questions later type, not from the way that she held herself. A demand, of some kind, maybe. But instead of doing that, _any_ of that, she just lowered her pistol, holstering it.

The unexpected action only served to make him more tense. Some kind of trick, maybe she was trying to get him to lower her guard. Take him alive, rather than dead.

"At ease, paladin." The woman spoke again, and though her tone was just as cold as it was before, it came across as more relaxed. "No harm will come to you here."

He didn't believe it for a second, but he did take the chance to slowly lower his hands. He fought the urge to press one back over his wound, no matter how much his body was currently begging him to do so.

"Pardon me if I find that a little hard to believe." Shiro told her, a wry grin on his face.

Against his expectations- he was starting to sense a trend here- the woman let out a faint snort. "I am not your enemy, Champion."

And in spite of himself, he couldn't help but twitch at that. As if in response, his wound stung with fresh pain, but he resisted the urge to give in, even if he sucked in his breath more than he wished.

"Don't call me that."

"You should take a bit more pride in it." The woman observed. "The empire may have latched onto it, but it was their prisoners who began it. You were _their_ champion first."

 _The_ empire. There was a disconnect there that he didn't miss, and he sensed it was deliberate. Arching his brows, he watched the woman with caution, trying to figure out what her game here was.

Maybe he had once been the champion of the gladiator arena, but right now he was just a badly injured human. If she wanted to take him out, she could have simply shot him in the back of his head before he'd even noticed her.

Even if she wanted him alive, she probably wouldn't have to go through this much effort. Even with his guard up, he'd probably be easy to take down right now.

"Who are you?" Shiro asked.

"I am Krolia." Taking a step forward, the woman's gaze dropped, lingering for a span on his wound. "We should treat that."

"Krolia." He repeated, watching her with a wary gaze. "You're Galra."

"An astute observation." Krolia hummed, and he could have sworn that was sarcasm. "Let me see it."

Arching his brows, Shiro held his ground. "You do realize I'm not about to show a gaping wound to the enemy that easily, right?"

"As I said, I am not your enemy." Krolia told him, dropping the pack that he only now noticed she had brought with her. She paid him no heed as she rifled through it, yet she left no openings- she was subtle about it, but she was keeping him in her peripheral.

That reminded him of Keith too.

It was that disquieting sense of familiarity that put him ill at ease.

She must have found what she was looking for, for she shouldered the pack again. "It might not be much compared to those healing pods on your ship, but this will hold you until you can get back into contact with them."

Staring down at what she was proffering him, Shiro's lips tightened into a frown. She seemed to catch that he didn't know what it was, for she thrust it forward a second time. "It's a healing patch. Take it."

Weighing his options, Shiro finally took the patch from her. For the moment, he didn't have much of a choice _but_ to trust what this woman said, though he still wasn't fully comfortable with the idea.

Peeling off the pad, he drew in a breath, deciding to take the plunge. Maybe it was some kind of poison, but he doubted it- again, she could have just shot him. Pressing it against his wound, he sucked in his breath as it seemed to tighten around it, forming to the curve of his body.

All at once, the pain eased, and he felt himself let out a long breath.

"See?" Krolia told him, folding her arms in front of her, a familiar stance that he tried not to think too much on. "Now what's the status of your lion?"

"Hold on." Shiro interjected, holding up a hand. "First, tell me exactly who you are, and what you're doing here. And maybe also where exactly I _am_ right now, while you're at it."

To that, she merely arched a brow. "As I said before, I am Krolia. You are in Warlord Ranveig's territory. I assume you must have been transported here by the corrupted wormhole."

For the brief span of a second, there was a crease to her brows, that almost spoke of worry- before she buried it back under a soldier's discipline. It raised, Shiro thought, more questions than her immediate knowledge of the corrupted wormhole.

Maybe he'd been out longer than he'd thought.

"How do you know about that?" Shiro asked, watching her anew with wary eyes.

"A mutual ally informed me." She told him, her tone curt in a manner that suggested she was still keeping much to herself. "I managed to conceal your landing here as nothing more than debris. There was a skirmish not too long ago."

"So I take it there's a base somewhere nearby?" Shiro asked, tensing at that information.

"One that I am in charge of, more or less." Krolia told him. "Whenever Ranveig himself is absent, which, currently, he is."

Something in her tone told him that was a _good_ thing.

Finally exhaling, Shiro released some of his wariness. Thus far, this Krolia had done nothing to arouse his suspicion- other than the disquieting familiarity that clung to her, which wasn't necessarily her fault. The least he could do was try to trust her, for now.

Dimly, he couldn't shake the feeling that something like this had happened before.

"The black lion's systems are down." Shiro told her. "I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon, much less able to get into contact with the Castle of Lions. Although from the sound of it, that _might_ not be my best course of action."

Her lips seemed to quirk in a faint grin, a gleam to those violet eyes that he recognized, though not from her. "There are standing orders to search for the Voltron lions. If your Castle showed up here, now, Zarkon would not be far behind."

"I'd also rather avoid blowing my cover." Krolia observed. "But," she said, removing her pack, and tossing it towards him, "...I believe I can provide you with a chance to leave this planet, undetected."

Taking the planet, he peered into it- she'd come prepared, with not only rations, but also diagnostic tools. Pulling one out, he glanced up towards her, studying her with a slight frown.

She really did resemble Keith, he thought.

Not just in mannerisms- although if he had to be honest, that was the more disquieting- but also in appearance.

Taller, and well, _purple_ \- but she had the same face shape, the arch of their nose nearly identical. If he accounted for the differences between human and Galran anatomy, they even had the same overall frame- and then, of course, there was the hair.

If Lance were here, he'd probably have some kind of mullet-based observation to share.

"You are staring." Krolia observed, though she did not seem off put by it.

Clearing his throat, Shiro set down the pack, holding the diagnostic tool firmly in his artificial hand. "Sorry, you just... kind of look like someone I know."

Inwardly, he winced. He had no idea why he had just admitted that much.

Krolia merely hummed at that, absently making her way towards the black lion, stopping just short of it. He nearly thought she wouldn't address it, until she did.

"What are they like?"

Blinking, Shiro frowned. He'd been the one to bring up the subject, but he wasn't sure how he felt about talking about Keith- or _any_ of his fellow paladins, really- to a Galra, even one who claimed to be on their side.

Even if he was starting to believe it.

"I probably wouldn't be here right now without him, for one." Shiro said finally. "You said you had a way for me to get off this planet undetected?"

Krolia turned, and for the span of a moment, he could swear she almost looked _disappointed_ , though with what, he couldn't begin to guess. But it was gone in the blink of an eye, instead leaving her to return to her pack, fetching a tool.

"There should be a radiation storm in the upper atmosphere in the next three vargas." She told him. "Our scanners will be dead during the duration of it. As long as we can get the black lion operational before then, you should be able to slip out, unnoticed."

It was as good a plan as any. He'd rather avoid picking a fight with the Galra so soon after they had just barely escaped from Central Command, _especially_ when he didn't know what the status of any of the other paladins was.

Wherever they landed, he hoped they were having more luck than him.

He could only hope that they had all pulled through alright- it had been a tough fight. He hadn't had enough time to really assess the damage that the green, blue, and yellow lions had taken, but they had at least been able to return to their hangars on their own. He'd had to bring the red lion back with him, it having taken so much damage during Keith's skirmish with Zarkon.

What _had_ he been thinking?

Keeping the black lion safe, probably.

Pushing such thoughts aside, he turned to address Krolia. "And if we don't get it working before then?"

"Then you're either stuck here until I can think of a different plan, or you risk leading Zarkon straight to your allies." Krolia told him.

Neither of those sounded like good options.

"Guess we're going with Plan A, then." Shiro quipped, hand lightly grazing his wound. The healing patch took away most of the pain, but the faster he got actual medical treatment, the better.

Eying Krolia, he made his way back towards the black lion. Resting his hand against the cool metal of the robot, he drew in a long breath, steadier than he had before.

One thing was clear to him- he needed to try and deepen his bond with the black lion. They couldn't afford to lose it to Zarkon.

They worked in silence for a good while. It wasn't that there weren't things he wanted to ask her- he had a million questions, starting with _why_ she was helping him. It was just that the need to get this done, and get it done _quickly,_ outweighed anything else.

"Are you worried?"

Krolia's voice caught his ears, the sudden question catching him off guard. "About?"

"The paladins." Krolia remarked. "The Altean princess."

That one sounded a bit like an afterthought.

"Yes." He admitted- no sense lying about that.

She gave another soft hum- he would have thought that with pupils, she would have been easier to read, but no- she was quite skilled at gauging her expressions.

"Why _are_ you helping me?" Shiro asked.

She paused in her work, sparing him a glance. "What do you remember about your escape?"

"I-" Shiro began, lips set in a tight frown. "Not much."

Thinking about it made his head hurt, so he pushed it aside for the moment. He needed his full focus on the here and now, though at this point, he was quite certain that if Krolia was going to betray him, she would have done so already.

Trusting her felt as if it came easier than it should.

"Thought not." Krolia remarked, turning her focus back to her task. "Not all Galra are with the empire."

Something in Shiro's head clicked, and he halted, watching Krolia anew. "You're a spy."

"You _are_ smart." Krolia observed. "I can see why-," and for a split second, he could have sworn she was about to say something else, "- _Ulaz_ put his faith in you."

 _Ulaz_. There was something about that name that was almost familiar, but he couldn't place it. Brow furrowing, he mulled this information over in his head- if there really _were_ Galra out there working against the empire, then that could be a huge asset to Voltron.

He just... wasn't sure how _Allura_ would feel about it.

Trusting the Galra would be a risk- what if this was all part of some longer game? No, shaking his head, he dismissed the thought. From what he understood of Zarkon, he wouldn't put it past him, but even _he_ would have had no way of knowing where the black lion would have ended up.

And again- if he wanted to take it, he could have just done so. He'd been able to do nothing to stop him even when he _had_ been in prime condition, so it was safe to say he wouldn't have stood a chance now. Why play a long game when you could just take what you wanted?

"There." Drawing away from the black lion, Krolia let out a long breath, stepping back as if to study her work. "With any luck, you should have enough power to break through the storm."

Resting a hand against the black lion, Shiro felt a soft hum underneath his fingertips. Their bond, which had been weak and fractured before, felt as if it were a little stronger.

"What will you do?" Shiro asked.

"Return to base." Krolia told him. "I'm not bred for riding out radiation storms."

In spite of himself, Shiro felt his lips quirk into a faint smile. Fair point.

"Thank you." Shiro told her- and his words were genuine.

"Voltron is our best hope at putting an end to the Galra Empire." She told him. "We cannot afford to lose you."

Giving her a curt nod of his head, Shiro made his way back up to the black lion's cockpit. The ascent was easier than his previous descent, the healing patch putting a constant pressure on his wound, keeping it from growing.

"Shiro."

The sound of his name on her lips caused him to jerk his head up, looking her way. For a fraction of a second, he could have sworn she looked amused- and that too, reminded him strongly of Keith.

He had never mentioned his name. How did she know it?

"Remember," she said, shouldering her pack, "-the Blade of Marmora is with you."

She gave him no chance to react, nor say anything- for she turned on her heel, starting to make her way out of the canyon. There was a natural ease in the way she moved, clambering up walls that would have given him no fair amount of trouble. Before he knew it, she was gone.

It felt, he thought, a bit like meeting with a ghost.

The Blade of Marmora- drawing in a breath, he felt his head throb at the name. He'd heard it before, somewhere.

Pushing off such thoughts once again, Shiro instead entered into the black lion's cockpit. Resting his body for a moment in the pilot's seat, he drew in and let out a long breath, before he reached for the controls, wrapping his hands tight around them.

One thing at a time- he had to get back to the others. Connecting with the castle-ship took first priority.

Feeling the black lion come to life around him, Shiro let out a breath of relief. Their bond flickered back to life, as if it had never been broken.

He would have to ask Allura some questions later, but that too, could wait.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

* * *

The Castle of Lions had never been a more welcome sight.

Once he was certain he was far enough away from the planet he'd crash landed on not to be detected, Shiro had make quick work out of contacting the castle-ship. To his relief, his signal had been picked up right away, a very relived sounding Allura responding to his hail.

In short order a wormhole- the normal kind- manifested before him, bringing him home.

 _Home_. He couldn't help but wonder when he had started to think of the castle-ship as such. Sure, it wasn't the home that he had left behind on Earth, the one that even now, he longed to return to- but it was a home, _his_ home, and the people in it were those that he had started to think of as family.

Both those he had known before, and those he hadn't.

It was one of the former that all but launched herself at him as he exited the black lion- and he fought back the urge to wince, the sudden, unexpected pressure sending a sharp surge of pain through his wound. Whatever effect the healing patch had was starting to wear off, leaving him with a sharp reminder of the damage that Zarkon's witch had done.

Apparently he didn't cover the noise as well as he thought, for Pidge immediately backed off. "You're hurt!"

Giving her a weak smile, Shiro rested a hand on her head. "I've been better, yeah. Glad to see you're alright, Pidge."

Across the room, Allura locked eyes with him- she knew where he got the wound from, since she'd helped save him. She'd looked to be in good health, if not a bit on the frazzled side- understandable, given what they'd all been through.

Her eyes falling on the healing patch, her gaze turned quizzical. "What is that?"

"A long story." Shiro told her. "It can wait."

She didn't look convinced, but she also wasn't about to press the issue, not when he was clearly in pain. "If you say so."

"Come on, Number One, let's get you to a healing pod." Coran said.

"That'd be great, thanks." Shiro smiled. "Where are the others?"

"We have picked up a signal from Lance and Hunk around the same time we picked up yours." Allura told him. "It seems as if they came out of the wormhole together. They seem to be quite safe at the moment, so we decided to pick you up first."

"Can't say I don't appreciate it." Shiro told her. "What about Keith?"

The three of them exchanged a look, one that he did _not_ like, Allura's face set in a tight frown. "We have not yet heard from Keith."

Sucking in a breath, Shiro fought back the urge to panic. Because _that_ didn't sound good.

"The red lion _did_ take a fair bit of damage." Coran said, his expression mirroring that of Allura's. "It might still be offline."

"The faster we find him, the better." Shiro said, his brow creasing with worry. "I'm assuming you all heard what I did, just before we got separated."

Pidge winced. " _Kind of_ hard to miss."

"Coran has informed me of Keith's... _sensitivities_." Allura said, seeming to almost stumble over the word. "Rest assured that we are doing all that we can to locate the red lion."

He'd have to believe her. Pressing his hand against his side, he grunted, knowing for sure now that the healing patch's effects had worn off. He couldn't exactly chew Keith out for making reckless decisions if he didn't take care of his _own_ health.

"Keith's tough." Shiro told them, half trying to convince himself of it. "He'll be fine."

At least, he _hoped_ he would.

"That he will!" Coran agreed. "Now come on, Number One, off with you. The faster we get you into a healing pod, the sooner you'll be out of it. Looks like that witch did a right doozy on you."

"That's one way of putting it, yeah." Shiro told him. "Lead the way, Coran."

"Right then, this way." Coran told him.

He fell into step behind the Altean man, keeping his hand pressed up against his side as he followed him into the med bay. As glad as he was to be back on the castle-ship, he would have felt a lot better to know for sure that everyone was safe and accounted for.

He'd just have to have faith.

He was right about one thing- Keith _was_ tough. Whatever his story was, whatever the truth was, that much was clear.

Letting his thoughts drift, only half listening to Coran's instructions, they fell back on Krolia.

Who exactly _was_ she?

Ulaz, the Blade of Marmora- he was almost _certain_ that he'd heard those before. But where?

For a moment, unbidden, his thoughts flashed back to something he hadn't thought about in awhile- the _unknown_ that had boarded the Castle of Lions, the one that had taken out Haxus. The one with the luxite blade.

Who _was_ that?

No friend of the Galra Empire, to be sure.

Closing his eyes, he stepped inside of the healing pod, Krolia's parting words lingering in his thoughts.

 _"Remember- the Blade of Marmora is with you."_

Just as his consciousness began to fade, he could have sworn he heard another, fainter voice, an echo of an older memory, half forgotten.

 _"The Blade of Marmora is with you."_


	2. gravity

Wow, that's quite the response to the first chapter! Can't say that I'm not flattered, so uh, thanks for that, I guess! Anyways, here's chapter two, hot of the presses! Who else is excited for season six? It's just around the corner!

Until next time!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter two**

 **gravity**

* * *

"You wished to see me, Haggar?"

Gaze flickering back behind her, the witch turned an assessing gaze towards the druid that had presented itself to her. Though she had much still to attend to, there was something that she felt needed clearing up.

She was still seething over the loss of the black paladin. He had been one of her favorite test subjects, and his escape the first time had fouled her mood considerably. She never could have imagined that her lost Champion would turn up again, and as a paladin of Voltron, no less- but fate, she knew, sometimes played a strange hand.

He had slipped through her grasp this time, but should she encounter him a second time, it would not happen again.

But for the time being, her thoughts were not on the black paladin, but rather, the red paladin.

The same one who had challenged her Lord Emperor to a match, either heedless of the consequences or merely ignorant of them. He had lasted longer than she would have thought, though if Champion had not intervened, he surely would have perished.

Oh how the Altean princess would have despaired, to lose her father's lion to the Galra once more. She may have stolen it out from under their noses once, but it too, they would get back- and the rest of Voltron along with it.

"You fought with the red paladin." It was more of an observation than a question. "I wish to know more."

The druid shifted, its eyeless gaze falling upon her. It would comply with anything she asked it, she knew. "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything." Haggar told it. "All that you know."

She had heard it once before, but now she desired to hear it again. She had _felt_ something, she thought, as she lashed out with her magic, ripping the fabric of the wormhole that would have been their escape apart.

Perhaps now it would serve as their doom.

What she had sensed was something she had come to know well over time. The pull of a _reazit_ , their gift calling out to her own magic.

A _reazit_ that had escaped the empire's notice was worth noting- all the more so if it had found its way to become a paladin of Voltron. She could use this, she thought- it would be far easier to carve out a new being from the old one, than it would be to force the red lion to accept a new paladin.

The druid felt nothing at having to repeat a story that it had already told, any semblance of personality washed away long ago. All that was left was the faintest concept of self- that last drop that they had never managed to quite burn out. They would not question her.

"The red paladin was caught in an attempt to steal refined quintessence." The druid dutifully reported. "I clashed with him, but was unable to defeat him due to the interruption caused by the green paladin."

"Indeed." Haggar said. "You told me you sensed something from him."

"Yes." The druid told her. "A pull. I believe he could sense me as well."

"And he was of the same race as the Champion?" Haggar questioned.

"Yes."

Now that, she thought, was the truly curious part. Were there those of the Champion's race then, that could possess the same gifts the Galra did? If such a thing were true, then the race held more potential than she had first thought.

And yet... what she had felt was surely the pull of a _reazit_ , though one of an older age than she usually found them. Her magic was strong, so while it was possible that she would be able to feel such a gift from any race, it was strange to her that it felt so _familiar_.

"Send word." Haggar told the druid. "That if the red paladin is found, he is to be brought to me."

"Yes, Haggar."

With a swooping bow, the druid left her presence.

* * *

He woke with a jolt.

It took him a long moment to place where he was, an even longer moment for him to place just how he had gotten there, and for a brief span, _who_ he was. His head was not helping matters, throbbing in pain like he'd taken a physical hit.

Drawing in a long breath, he closed his eyes, willing the pain to recede. It took him a spell, but after a moment, it complied, dulling to a manageable throb, allowing him to _think_.

He was Kyix, of the Blade of Marmora, son of Krolia, grandson of Svatavi. He wore the skin of another race, but he was Galra.

He was also Keith Kogane, paladin of Voltron, pilot of the red lion. Keith Kogane was a lie.

He had been in battle- they had attacked Central Command in order to free Princess Allura- _against_ his better judgement, some small part of him added- when things had gone awry. They had tried to escape by using a wormhole, but that wormhole had been corrupted, scattering the paladins across the universe.

Letting out a long breath, he finally opened his eyes. His thoughts felt more stable, grounded, than they had been before, and even if the dull pain in his head was still present, he could manage.

First he had to figure out where he was, and what the condition of the red lion was. Reaching out for their bond, he grit his teeth, getting nothing back.

He didn't know how long he had been out, but apparently not long enough for his lion to recover. Letting out a breath, he reached out, testing one of the controls, before slumping back in his chair.

"Okay, rest up." He told it, his voice soft. "We had a tough battle."

Getting to his feet, he peered out of Red's cockpit. He'd landed somewhere, _hard_ , from the looks of the impact crater. Wherever he was, it didn't appear to be a planet.

Switching his helmet to enclosed mode, he slipped out of the cockpit. The first thing he noticed was that in spite of not being on a planet, there seemed to be something akin to gravity here. The next was that he'd apparently found himself inside of some kind of asteroid belt, judging by his surroundings.

Which just made the gravity all the more confusing.

Hopping down from red lion's head, he landed on the rocky ground of the asteroid. Even from his position, he could tell it was a large one- not nearly as large as the one that served as the Blade of Marmora's main base, but getting there.

This was bad. He had to get back into contact with the others, and as soon as possible. Who knew where that wormhole had sent all of them?

None of them knew the first thing about space- except Shiro, but his only exposure to it had been inside of one of Zarkon's cells, a time which he barely even remembered. There were so many dangerous parts of space, even _without_ the Galra Empire, so the thought that they could have ended up _anywhere_ was...

He was pacing, he realized, bringing himself to a halt.

It was enough to make him almost laugh. He never thought he would have been this worried about a bunch of humans.

And that's what he was, wasn't he? Worried? Now he _did_ laugh, the idea so preposterous to him that he frankly couldn't help it.

He wanted to tell himself it was just because they were the paladins of Voltron, because they were important to the war effort, but he already knew that wasn't entirely true. He didn't even know how this had happened- Shiro was one thing, but the rest?

Maybe it was just because they were human. Humans were weak, fragile- and these were just human _children_. It was only natural to be concerned about something weaker than him.

Right. That was it. That was all.

Exhaling, Keith forced aside all such thoughts. He needed to focus- without the red lion, there was no way for him to get in touch with the Castle of Lions. Thankfully, that wasn't his only point of contact.

Reaching into where he had tucked away his transmitter, Keith grimaced. It must have broken sometime during the fight- he _had_ been thrown around an awful lot. Switching it on regardless, his brows knit together as he tried and failed to send out a message.

Great. So that was a thing.

At least maybe it still sent out a signal, he hoped, tucking it back away again. It wouldn't be long until Thace contacted Kolivan with an update, and he would no doubt start looking for him.

And at that thought, he grimaced again. He hadn't thought about it at all at the time, but... Kolivan was going to kill him, wasn't he?

He _had_ basically just challenged Zarkon to a one on one fight. In any other situation, that would have been a death match.

He'd stand by it though- he'd done what he'd had to do. He couldn't allow Zarkon to take control of the black lion, and not only had he awoken a new weapon for the red lion in the process, but he'd also bought enough time for Shiro to reclaim his lion. It all worked out in the end, so wasn't that what mattered the most?

Somehow he got the feeling Kolivan wouldn't see it that way. _Unnecessary risks_ , he'd say.

Turning on his heel, he looked up towards the red lion, a tight frown on his lips. He had felt its anger towards Zarkon, something that hadn't left him, even now that it was offline. Resting a hand against its massive leg, Keith closed his eyes, leaning his head against it, his helmet making a faint _click_ as it touched.

"We did good, Red."

With that, he drew away, deciding to fix his focus on what he could do now. Sitting around in empty space waiting to be rescued wasn't his style, and he was more than a little curious as to what was generating gravity around here.

Frowning, he stomped his foot against the ground, before kneeling down, rapping it with his knuckles. It _sounded_ like a regular asteroid, he guessed, but with these stupid human ears of his, who the fuck knew?

Remaining in that position, he cast his gaze in front of him, brows knit together in thought. This couldn't be natural, he decided- which left only one option.

Artificial gravity.

But out here? In the middle of space? On an asteroid?

Rising to his feet, he scanned the horizon. Nobody was coming out and attacking him, which was a good thing. If there _was_ someone here, they were probably hiding- which meant this probably _wasn't_ some kind of hidden empire base. They weren't exactly known for being subtle.

Hidden base... frowning, that sparked something within his memory.

Ulaz had once said that there was no such thing in this universe as a coincidence- that when things happened, they usually had some kind of _reason_ behind them. He'd never been totally on board with that, but maybe he was on to something.

He didn't like the thought of leaving Red out in the open like this, but he didn't have much of a choice. If he wanted to investigate any further, he would have to- and if there was some kind of hidden base on this rock, then it might give him a way to contact the others. The faster he could get back to the Castle of Lions, the better.

If Red came back online, he'd know.

The longer he stayed here, the more he got the feeling he _knew_ this place. The impression was faint, but he couldn't shake it. It was only when he uncovered the hidden entrance, revealing a long, dark corridor leading downward, that it clicked.

This was an old Marmora base.

Pausing to glance behind him, Keith slipped in. Resting one hand against the wall, he summoned his bayard with the other, his shoulders taut. The door slid shut behind him, plunging the abandoned base into near darkness.

Thankfully, his night vision was still good enough to allow him to navigate with ease. If he could locate the control room, then maybe he could boot up the base's emergency power. He'd be able to send Kolivan a signal from there.

(He wasn't going to send the Castle of Lions a signal from an abandoned Blade of Marmora base. He wasn't stupid.)

Navigating the darkened halls made him certain of one thing though- he'd been here before. It wasn't much more than a faint impression, nothing he could even really call a memory, but he was almost certain that this was not his first time in this place.

It was only when his feet came to a halt in front of a room that was very much _not_ the control room, that he realized _why_ that was. Of course he knew this place, he thought, gaze frozen on what he recognized almost instantly as a nursery- he'd been _born_ here.

He'd also, he thought, breath hitching in his throat- he'd also nearly _died_ here.

A faint flash of memory, a purple form hovering over him, rough hands. Liquid, a sickly sweet scent.

His throat _burned_ , and he had to tell himself that it wasn't real.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he forced himself away from the nursery. He didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to.

Making his way to the control room, he forced back the taste of bile. This should have been a good place for him, but it wasn't, not after what happened. He forced himself to think only of the task at hand, nothing else. He had dealt with the memories once before, during his trial, and that had been enough. He didn't care to repeat it.

(He'd understood, keenly, the human saying of _ignorance is bliss_ the first time he'd heard it.)

The control room was barren, its systems stripped. Even if he _didn't_ know what happened here, it was clear that the place had been abandoned in a hurry.

Finding the main power console, he switched it on, letting out a breath of relief as the base flickered to life around him. With oxygen flowing, he took off his helmet, resting it on an abandoned console. Anything that could have compromised the Blade had been wiped clean, but it looked like some of the systems still worked.

That was when he realized he was not alone.

Tensing, his bayard flashed, extending into a sword. Pivoting on his heel, he braced himself, the faint scent he'd caught before growing stronger as it drew closer.

And then all at once he relaxed, the sight of familiar armor putting him at ease. His signal must have gotten out after all.

"Ulaz."

The Blade's mask flickered, and Keith felt himself relax fully at the familiar face. Lowering his bayard, it returned to it's default state, before he let it vanish back into his armor entirely.

"Kyix," there was _mirth_ in that voice, and suddenly he couldn't taste bile anymore, "-you seem to have changed since I saw you last. Did you grow taller?"

Glaring at the Blade, Keith folded his arms in front of his chest. "Very funny."

"I have been known for my humor." Ulaz observed. "It is good to see you again, Kyix. It has been far too long."

Extending his arm, Keith grasped his forearm, Ulaz likewise returning the gesture. "How did you find me here?"

"Kolivan picked up the signal from your transmitter." Ulaz told him. "When he was unable to contact you, he sent me to check on you."

"Did Thace tell you about the wormhole?" Keith asked, releasing his forearm.

"He did." Ulaz told him. "He also informed us that Commander Prorok is being held on charges of treason, and that he has been promoted in his place."

Letting out a faint snort, he couldn't help but be amused at that turn of events. A fitting end to old caterpillar brows.

"He _also_ ," and now Ulaz leveled his gaze with his, every ounce the stern mentor he knew he could be, "-informed us that you challenged Zarkon."

Keith flinched at that, all too certain it was far more visible on his human face than it would have been otherwise. "He was going to take the black lion."

Ulaz held his gaze for a moment longer- before resting a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I am not saying that you did not make the right choice. Just that hearing the news nearly made my heart stop."

Exhaling, Keith gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"Now," Ulaz said, "-why don't we get you out of this place?"

"That would be... that would be nice." Keith admitted. "It's- I'm not wrong, am I?"

He didn't need to specify. Ulaz knew what he meant. He'd been there on base that day, he'd learned much later, when Krolia's ship had all but screamed its way into the hangar, clutching her infant son in her arms, desperate.

"It is." Ulaz told him. "To think that the wormhole would deposit you here, of all places."

"Just a coincidence." Keith muttered.

"Ah, but you know-" Ulaz began, and he cut him off.

"There's no such thing. I know." Keith said, rolling his eyes. It was a habit he'd picked up on Earth- he'd never done it before, since it didn't really work.

Ulaz took note of it, peering down to study him. To his credit, Keith didn't even flinch.

"You have your mother's eyes." He observed. "Nearly. This is the first time I have witnessed one of Svatavi's devices at work. How does it make you feel?"

"Don't get me started." Keith groaned. "Human senses are _pathetic_."

Letting out a faint chuckle at that, Ulaz patted him on the shoulder once more, before making his way to the main power console. Scooping up his helmet, he tossed it towards him, Keith catching it from the air and tucking it back on.

Switching it back into enclosed mode, he watched as Ulaz once more cut power to the base, plunging it back into darkness. The mask and chest plate of his Marmora armor illuminated the darkness, something Keith found reassuring.

The paladins would likely just find it creepy, part of him thought.

"Come," Ulaz spoke, his voice distorted by his mask, though he swore he could make out the faint note of _pride_ in it, "-let us see what we can do about your lion."

 _Your lion._

Something about hearing that phrase from Ulaz's lips... he liked it, he thought.

With Ulaz's company, the darkened halls of the base did not seem as oppressive as they once were. The memories were still there, but not as prominent, becoming something he was able to manage.

He hadn't realized how much he had missed _home_ until this moment.

"So," Ulaz began, "-should I be expecting a visit from the paladins of Voltron soon?"

Blinking at the question, it took him a moment to place what he meant. He hadn't forgotten that Ulaz had enabled Shiro's escape, but it _may_ have slipped his mind that he had loaded coordinates into his arm.

"Can't say." Keith told him. "Shiro doesn't remember much about how he escaped, or about his time as Zarkon's prisoner."

"Ah." Clicking his tongue, Ulaz opened the doors to the base, depositing them back on the asteroid's surface. "I hope he will recall soon. It would be far better if he were to come to us, than we to him."

"Kolivan didn't seem to think that an alliance was a good idea." Keith observed. "You really think he'd go for it?"

"Kolivan can be stubborn." Ulaz noted. "But so can I."

Letting out a snort, Keith couldn't help but agree. "I'm not sure the princess would be in favor of it. I'm pretty sure she'd shoot me out the nearest airlock if she found out I was Galra."

"People can change." Ulaz told him, reaching into his pouch, retrieving a transmitter. "Here. A replacement."

Taking it from him, Keith fished out the one concealed in his armor, switching it off. "Here," he said, handing Ulaz the broken one, "-garbage."

"Just what I have always wanted." Ulaz told him, taking the broken transmitter and tucking it away. "Do you intend to tell them?"

"No." Keith said, making sure the new transmitter was switched off, before concealing it in his armor. "I don't think it would go over well."

Ulaz merely let out a low hum. He had landed his ship by the red lion, which, from the look of it, was still very much offline. "Let us see if we can't restore your lion's communications."

"You don't intend to be here when the Castle shows up, do you?" Keith asked. "Pretty sure it'd be kind of hard to explain what I'm doing with a Galra."

Not to mention they'd already seen Marmora armor before, thanks to his earlier mistake. At worst, they'd make the connection.

In his defense, he'd never been trained for deep cover missions.

"Rest assured, I intend to be long gone by the time your fellow paladins arrive." Ulaz told him. "How are you blending in?"

"Well?" Keith frowned. He actually had no idea, he hadn't ever stopped to give it any thought. "I guess?"

Ulaz let out a low hum, and Keith gave him a glower. Okay, so _maybe_ his impression of a human wasn't as good as it could be, but it wasn't like he had a whole lot of study material to go off of. What the Blade of Marmora had known about Earth was limited to what their drones had picked up- beyond that, he had been on his own.

His first time in a human town had been... interesting.

The less said about that, the better. Ulaz did not need to know that he had mistaken a cat for a speech capable being. _Nobody_ needed to know that.

" _You've_ spoken to a human." Keith said. "You now how they are."

"I will admit, I did not expect Shiro to trust me that easily." Ulaz told him. "Is that a human trait?"

"I mean, I guess?" Keith shrugged. "They're... complicated."

"Complicated." Ulaz observed. "Yes, I find most sentient beings are."

Shooting him a look, Keith shook his head, instead choosing to approach the red lion. Resting his hand on its leg, he closed his eyes, reaching out with their bond. This time he thought he could felt something, though it was still faint- a sign that it was recovering.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day the lions of Voltron returned." Ulaz told him. "I was told many tales in my youth, but nothing compares to seeing the real thing. May I?"

Nodding his head, Keith stepped back to allow Ulaz a closer look. The Blade hesitated for the span of a moment, before he rested a hand against the lion's leg.

"Truly remarkable."

"She's something pretty special, alright." Keith told him, folding his arms in front of him.

"Thace included in his report that you managed to wake one of the red lion's weapons." Ulaz remarked. "He seemed quite proud."

"Well he _is_ the one that taught me to fly." Keith pointed out. "I felt... _connected_ to Red, like I hadn't been before. Turns out she really hates Zarkon too."

"I would imagine." Ulaz observed, removing his hand. "Now come. We have much work to do. The sooner you return to the Castle of Lions, the better."

Nodding his head, Keith couldn't agree more.

(Even if part of him just wanted to go back _home_.)

* * *

He didn't expect Hunk to nearly fling himself at him.

He had barely exited the red lion when the yellow paladin sprung himself on him, and it took every ounce of self control he had not to lash out defensively. Out of the corner of his eye, he took note that he was not alone in the hangar- in fact, the only person who was missing was Shiro.

"Keith!" The yellow paladin cried out, throwing his arms around him in jubilant relief. "Oh man, you don't know how worried we were about you, buddy!'

Not knowing what to say, Keith simply stood there, frozen solid under Hunk's embrace. Seriously, what was it with humans and hugging?

Seeming to realize his discomfort, Hunk hurriedly pulled away. "Oh, uh, sorry Keith, it's just nice to see that you're not, you know-"

"-screaming bloody murder?" Lance finished.

"Yeah. That."

"Why would I be...?" Brows furrowing, it took him a moment to connect the dots. "Oh."

So he _had_ been screaming then.

"Yeah, _oh_." Pidge said. "You really freaked us out there Keith. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Keith told her, pulling off his helmet. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a big deal out of it. He could rationalize why he had been worried about them, but he still couldn't grasp why they'd be worried about _him_. "Where's Shiro?"

"Healing pod." Pidge supplied.

Narrowing his eyes, Keith felt something in him clench. "What happened?"

"Uh, I'm not _exactly_ sure on the details, but he got into some kind of fight with this scary lady." Hunk told him.

"Scary lady?" Keith asked.

"Zarkon's _witch_." Allura supplied- and Keith felt his heart seize at that, knowing who she meant. "He should be in the healing pod for the next two quintants."

"But he'll be alright, right?" Keith asked.

Nothing he had heard about Zarkon's witch was very good, so to think that Shiro had encountered her... he was just glad it hadn't come to that.

"Oh, he should be just fine, Number Four!" Coran supplied. "No need to worry."

Exhaling, Keith felt his shoulders slump. "Okay. That's good."

"Maybe you should head down to the infirmary too?" Hunk ventured. "Get a check up, make sure everything's okay?"

"Don't bother, Hunk." Lance rolled his eyes. "He's probably just going to say he needs to sleep it off again."

"Yeah?" Keith blinked. "I'm fine, I mean it."

"You said the same thing about the Balmera, and then you kind of passed out." Lance pointed out. "Remember that? Huh?"

It took Keith a second, but once it dawned on him... _oh_.

Right. They were worried about him. It was so surreal, he kept forgetting.

"No, I'm-" he began, before stopping short, "-I _promise_ I'm fine."

"You sure?" Hunk asked. "You don't feel like you're going to pass out again or anything, right?"

"I'm not going to pass out, I promise." Keith assured him, watching as the yellow paladin's shoulders slumped in relief. "But I _do_ want to check on Shiro."

"Of course, Number Four!" Coran said. "How about I walk you down to the-"

"No need, Coran." Allura cut him off. "I can escort Keith to the med bay."

Okay. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. Watching Allura with a wary gaze, he tried to assess her motives.

She must have caught it, for she leveled her gaze with his. "...unless there is some reason Keith minds?"

Well now she had him cornered. "No."

"Good, it's settled then." Allura smiled- and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was one of her more _diplomatic_ ones. Gaze flickering over towards Coran, the man merely offered him a weak smile in return.

Not reassuring, but not a cause for panic either.

"Now then, let us not waste time." Allura said, taking a pointed step forward. "I am sure that you would like the chance to rest as soon as possible."

"I- yeah." Frowning, Keith spared a glance back towards the other paladins, before his gaze flickered back towards Allura. They seemed to be acting normally, and he had hard time believing the princess would keep it to herself if she learned he was Galra. "Bit tired."

Allura said nothing, leaving him to trail behind in her wake. The silence was a heavy one, the tension thick.

Had he done something wrong? Racking his brain, he tried to think of what it was that she wanted him alone for- if she'd figured out he was a spy, she surely would have confronted him about it in front of everyone else.

He was so lost in thought, that he didn't even notice when they turned down the wrong hall. It took him until the next wrong turn to pick up on it.

"Uh, Allura?" Fighting the urge to come to a complete halt, Keith's brows furrowed. "This isn't the way to the med bay."

"I know." Allura told him. "Because we are not going to the med bay."

She made no attempt to say _where_ they were going, nor did she halt her pace in the least. Caught between the urge to make a break for it, and the desire to _know_ , Keith chewed his lip, before eventually deciding on the latter.

(Knowledge or death.)

When they came to a halt outside of the training deck, he couldn't have been more confused. "Allura?"

She gave him no answer, merely expected him to follow her inside. Which he did, after a moment's hesitation.

"Keith," Allura finally spoke her tone serious, though not accusatory, "-what do you know about _quintessence_?"

Hm. Maybe he _should_ have run.


	3. war

Here we are, back at it again! So that season six, huh? I can already tell there are aspects of it that I will have to rework completely for this AU, which is a fun prospect in and of itself- determining which bits will work and which won't. But that's far off in the future, so lots of time to think about that! As always, thanks for reading, and until next time!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter three**

 **war**

* * *

They had _all_ heard it.

The sound of Keith's screams were the last thing they all heard, before the lions were ripped out of their hangars, scattered throughout the universe. At the time, they had sent a bolt of fear through her, terribly afraid that something awful had happened to her paladin.

It was only once they had escaped the time loop, and picked up Pidge and the green lion, did she get the time to actually ask. What Coran told her was very much what she had already come to suspect- that the red paladin appeared to possess a sensitivity to quintessence.

Pidge supplied that he had been able to sense the blue lion in the desert, though he was not its paladin. Coran informed her that his weak state on the Balmera was due to him picking up on its dying state.

Either way, whatever that corrupted wormhole had done to him, it couldn't have been good.

With all lions accounted for, other than the red lion, she had felt her heart sink, wondering if they had perhaps lost it- and its paladin with it. When it finally came back online, Keith sending out a transmission, she felt some of her worry leave her.

He looked... _pale_ , she thought, which was to be expected. The red lion had still been largely offline, only it's communications systems rebooted. They'd sent Hunk out in the yellow lion to collect him, knowing that his armor would be able to handle any near brushes with asteroids.

When Keith stumbled out of his lion, the worst of her fears abated. Aside from being pale, with deep circles under his eyes, he looked- and _acted_ \- largely fine. At least, in so far as she could tell- from what little she understood of the red paladin, she knew that he was not the type to ask for help, even if he needed it.

And she could not yet shake the dread that there was a chance that the wormhole had _done_ something to him. Perhaps he might not even be aware of it, but if that witch's magic was as strong as she thought it was, she would not be at ease until she checked for herself.

She did feel a bit guilty about luring him away, on the pretense of seeing Shiro, who he was so clearly worried about, but the sooner she established if he had been compromised or not, the better. She would much rather do it here, in private, where he could at least be contained if her worst fears proved true.

Not that she would even know what to do if he had been. The least she could do was put him into cryosleep until she could think of a solution, which was not an attractive option, as it left them short one paladin.

Somehow she didn't think that _Keith_ would be all that keen on it either.

He must have picked up on the fact that she thought something was wrong, for he shifted nervously on his feet at her question. She was surprised he didn't simply run- and grateful for it, for from what she had seen, Keith could be awfully quick on his feet. She'd have a hard time catching up to him.

"Isn't that the stuff that powers the empire's ships?" Keith asked, somehow managing to look anywhere but her face while also not letting it leave his line of vision.

"That's part of it, yes." Allura told him, squaring herself. There was no easy way for her to tell one of her paladins that there was a risk their mind might have been compromised, _especially_ when they didn't seem to be aware of it themselves.

Perhaps it hadn't, then. She would hold to that faith.

Keith frowned, shifting on his feet again. "What's the other part?"

"As I am sure you recall, when I first assigned you each a lion, I mentioned that the lion reflects the quintessence of its pilot." Allura told him. "So yes, it can be used to power ships, such as the Galra use it, but it is _also_ in a way the life force that exists within all that is around us."

"This, I believe, is what you sense."

He flinched at that, subtle though it was. His right hand twitched, his already tense form growing all the more so.

"Coran informed me of your... _sensitivities_. I understand that you did not trust me with this secret," and that stung, she wasn't going to deny it, "...but after what I heard, I could not exactly ignore it."

He said nothing, didn't even look at her- not _directly_ , at least.

"Pidge has told me that on your planet, you would be called a _psychic_." She continued. "I believe that what you sense, this _energy_ you have spoken of, is actually quintessence."

Finally breaking his silence, Keith's gaze shifted, violet eyes falling on her. There was something _accusatory_ in it, as if he had picked up on what she was trying to get at. "I know you didn't bring me here for a lesson, princess, so why don't you just cut to the chase already?"

Heaving a sigh, she felt her shoulders slump. Keith was right, she was dancing around the topic.

"There is no easy way to put this, so I will simply _cut to the chase_ , as you say." Allura told him, her frown not leaving her face. She would very much like him to at least know that she was not at ease with this herself, if nothing else. "I would like to recheck your quintessence."

The suspicion in his gaze pained her, but she could not exactly blame him for it. At the same time, she did not miss the glimmer of _fear_ that passed through them, as if he had not yet considered such a thing himself.

"You think I've been _tainted_."

"Yes." Allura confessed. "I cannot deny the possibility. To be able to corrupt a wormhole like that- it is clear to me that whatever she is, Zarkon's witch is powerful."

She did not _seem_ like a Galra, which bothered her more than she was willing to let on. Nor did the strange robed figures that had flanked her- at least, not like any Galra she had ever seen.

Folding his arms in front of him, he held her gaze, but she could not read it. She always considered herself skilled at reading expressions, but at times, Keith's face could become like a mask.

"I'm fine, princess." Keith told her. "I'm just tired."

"I am certain that you likely _feel_ fine, but-" Allura began, but Keith cut her off.

"Listen. _If_ I start feeling strange, you'll be the first to know." Keith told her. "But I'm not letting you _examine_ me."

She could not say that she had not been prepared for such a reaction, but it still stung. She would have hoped that by now, she would have built up at least a _little_ trust with him. She'd thought after the events with Sendak's crystal, that she had made some form of progress with him, but it would seem that was not the case.

"Keith, I-" Allura began, only to find herself cut off once more.

"Leave it, princess." Keith told her. "If that's all, I'm going to check on Shiro."

She felt herself deflate, half wanting to argue, but at the same time, sensing it would get her nowhere. She could be stubborn yes, but so could Keith- and the _last_ thing she wanted to do was drive herself into an impasse with one of the paladins.

"Very well, then." Allura said. "But only if you promise to come to me the moment you feel anything off."

The mask-like quality of Keith's expression did not change- if anything, it only reinforced itself. "Fine, I promise."

She could hardly say that she was satisfied with that- but it would have to do. For the time being, she would simply keep a close eye on him, watching him for any strange behavior.

Not that she would know what strange behavior for Keith would even _be_ , she realized. She knew so little about him, that Zarkon's witch might _already_ be controlling him, and she would have no way of knowing.

Were it not for the fact that she had heard, with her own ears, the witch express interest in the red paladin, she likely would not even be considering such a thing. But what she had said was true- if she were capable of corrupting the wormhole in such a fashion, who knew what else she was capable of?

Not this, she hoped.

For if she was, she did not think herself strong enough to stop it.

* * *

It was only once he had gotten a fair distance away from the training deck, that Keith allowed his expression to falter.

He had held it together there out of need- he couldn't let Allura check his quintessence, not directly. Subconsciously, his right hand drifted towards the base of his spine, knowing without needing to ask that if she went looking for something odd with it, she would have no trouble finding it.

Even if the prospect that she had presented to him was... chewing on his lip, Keith drew his hand away, clenching and unclenching it. He hadn't checked on it yet, but he was almost certain it was still mottled purple underneath.

He didn't want to think that he'd been compromised in any way, but he couldn't dismiss the idea out of hand either. He knew what Zarkon's witch and her druids were capable of, and he couldn't claim with any confidence that he hadn't given her some kind of _in_.

It wouldn't have been the first time his mind had given way. It had never put anyone at risk before, but... what if that was the reason Kolivan kept him from missions that druids would be on?

He was still himself, of that much he was certain, but perhaps it would for the best if he took care to monitor his own actions. Once Red was fully back online, he was almost certain she would able to check for what he couldn't, but until then, the notion that he might be _infected_ would be one that would haunt him.

Exhaling, Keith dropped his hand. He _did_ still need to check on Shiro.

Making his way to the med bay, he let out a faint sigh of relief once he spotted the black paladin, deep in slumber in one of the healing pods. As much as he didn't want to ever be in one, he couldn't deny how useful they were.

There had been schematics among the files he had downloaded from the castle-ship, and he knew that Kolivan had their science division looking into replicating them. If the Blade of Marmora could get their hands on technology like this, it could save countless lives.

The medical technology that the Blades possessed was already vastly superior to anything any of the other rebel forces had- he would know- but sometimes, it just wasn't enough.

Doors to the med bay sliding open, Keith turned his head, catching Pidge's eye. One of her fingers was tucked into her mouth, and she frowned when she saw him, pulling it out.

"Oh hey, Keith. Still here?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just about to leave." Keith told her. "What's wrong with your finger?"

"Paper cut." Pidge told him. "Any chance you know where Coran keeps the adhesive strips around here?"

"I think they're over there?" Keith told her, as if he hadn't mapped out every part of the med bay to determine where everything was located should he need to use it in a pinch. "How'd you get a paper cut in space anyways?"

Humans were so fragile they could get cut by _paper_ \- sometimes it was a wonder to him that they had survived this long.

Not against Zarkon, just in general. Still, they were nothing if not resilient. The more time he spent with them, the more he understood that.

Making her way over towards the drawer he indicated, Pidge found the adhesive strips. "I was looking through the castle-ship's library. They have some old books on Altean engineering that aren't available in the ship's systems."

Watching as she peeled off the backing of the strip, sticking it to her finger, Keith frowned. He knew the ship had a library, he just didn't think anyone _used_ it, except for maybe Coran. "You read Altean?"

"No." Glancing his direction, she set the strips back where she found them. "Mostly I'm just looking at the blueprints. I might try to learn Altean though, if we ever have the time."

"Yeah?" Folding his arms in front of him, Keith quirked a brow.

There were translator microbes within the castle-ship itself, he knew, and Allura had given them each nanobots designed to do the same for whenever they left the ship. That was great for spoken word, but it didn't do anything for the _written_ word.

Not that he'd used his. He'd snuck them back where they'd come from later that day, knowing she wasn't likely to check that particular drawer again. Being a member of the Blade required an extensive knowledge of all common universal languages, and nanobots were a liability.

Easier to just have an entire language uploaded into ones head, if there was an urgent need to learn it. It was how he had picked up English, though it had taken him awhile to get the pronunciation right.

"Thought it could help." Pidge told him. "Did you hear Lance and Hunk got brainwashed by mermaids?"

Letting out a snort, Keith couldn't help but flash a grin. "They did _what_ now?"

"Brainwashed by mermaids. Or well, fish people." She said, a slight frown to her features. "We had to treat Lance for jellyfish stings because he put one on his head to block the mind control rays. Turns out it was just the food all along."

"Sounds like they had a wild time." Keith observed.

"Sounds like it. I just got launched into a trash nebula." Pidge said.

"You sound like you almost _wanted_ to be brainwashed by mermaids." Keith observed.

She merely gave him a deadpan look. "I think I can live without ever experiencing that. Speaking of which, do you think you're more or less resistant to brainwashing?"

Caught off guard by the question, Keith blinked. If it had come from anyone _but_ Pidge, it'd worry him, but coming from her it was probably just a spur of the moment thing. " _More_ , I'd hope?"

"But you don't know." Pidge said, to which Keith merely shrugged. Nobody had ever tried brainwashing him before, so how was he supposed to know?

"Fair enough." She said. "Anyways, you'd better get some sleep. You really did give us all a huge scare back there, Keith. You sure you're fine?"

"I promise, Pidge, I'm fine." Keith told her.

She merely arched her brows at that- before shrugging her shoulders. "If you say so. If you need me for some reason, I'll be in the library. Not that I need to tell _you_ that, since you always seem to be so good at _finding_ us."

"What can I say?" Keith told her. "It's a gift."

More like years of training, he mentally supplied.

"Yeah well, I wish _you_ were that easy to find. Do you know how many times Shiro has torn the ship apart looking for you?" Pidge asked.

He couldn't help but wince at that- maybe he did try a _little_ too hard to make himself scarce when it wasn't time to gather. "I- sorry."

He wasn't sure why he was apologizing, but it seemed like the right thing to do here. Maybe? What he'd told Ulaz was true, humans were complicated- what pacified one usually upset another, and trying to pick up on their various social cues wasn't anywhere _near_ as easy as infiltrating an imperial cruiser was.

At least it just got him painted as being socially awkward, rather than _alien_.

"Eh, you don't need to apologize." Pidge said. "We've all got our ways of dealing with being in a space war. Yours is hiding, nothing wrong with that."

He wanted to protest that he _wasn't_ hiding, but thought better of it. Best to just let her believe that.

* * *

"How's Red?"

Letting out a loud yelp, Hunk spun around, shoulders slumping when he realized it was just Keith. For his part, the red paladin looked completely unaffected by his reaction, merely watching him with curious eyes.

"Keith man, you _gotta_ give a guy some warning before you sneak up on them like that." Hunk told him, placing a hand over his heart, trying to steady it's loud beating.

Keith merely frowned. "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you."

Which... yeah, he kind of knew. Keith just had naturally silent footsteps- like a cat, this guy.

Still, would it kill him to call out before he was like, right beside him? Or right _behind_ him, as he was in this case.

"So uh... you came to check up on Red, right?" Hunk asked, changing the topic with all the grace of a stampeding rhino. "It's probably gonna be awhile until I can get all her systems back online. Zarkon really did a number on her, and I'm _pretty sure_ going through that weird wormhole didn't do her too many favors."

At the mention of the wormhole, he couldn't help but frown, studying Keith. He had changed out of his paladin armor and was back in his casual clothes, and for all the world, he looked just as fine as he claimed to be- just a little pale, if anything.

Except for the bandages that peeked out from underneath the glove on his right hand. He barely even _caught_ them, his arms folded, right hand tucked into the crock of his elbow, nearly hidden from view.

"Uh, is your hand okay?" Hunk asked.

Blinking, Keith's gaze flickered down towards it. "It's fine. Just a little banged up. Coran already looked at it."

Oh well, if Coran had already looked at it, then it probably was fine. Relaxing, Hunk gave him a smile. "Good to hear. I know you've probably had this mentioned to you like, a million times, but you really did give us a scare back there, buddy."

Ducking his head, Keith seemed to frown. "Sorry."

"No, no, you totally don't have to apologize for it!" Hunk told him. "We're just all glad you're okay."

Aw man, he didn't want Keith to feel bad. That was the _last_ thing he wanted!

"So uh, I thought you would have crashed by now." Hunk said, changing the topic again. "No offense, but you look pretty wiped."

"Is it that bad?" Keith asked, touching the corner of his eye.

He opened his mouth, about to tell him that the bags weren't _that_ noticeable, when thoughts connected in his head. Slamming his mouth shut, his thoughts flickered back to something Shiro had let slip once before.

 _"Is this about him sleeping in the red lion?"_

Oh man... oh man, was Keith down here because he was looking for a place to _sleep_?

"I, uh- don't take this the wrong way if I'm wrong," Hunk stammered, deciding to just come out and ask it, "-but do you uh... do you sleep in the red lion? Like, usually?"

Frowning, Keith narrowed his eyes. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no problem!" Hunk said, holding up his hands. "But doesn't that get uncomfortable after awhile?"

"It's safe." Keith stated simply. "You never know when the empire is going to attack."

And oh, did his heart hurt at that. Because like... that was true, but even _Shiro_ didn't sleep in his lion- when he did sleep, which Hunk suspected wasn't as often as he should.

"I mean, yeah but..." Hunk trailed off. "It's gotta hurt your back."

Keith merely shrugged. "It's fine. You get used to it."

 _But you shouldn't_ _ **have**_ _to get used to it_ , some part of Hunk wanted to protest, but instead he decided it would be best to change the topic again. Unfortunately, in this case, it meant blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Why do you talk about them that way anyways?"

Keith blinked, staring up at him, uncomprehending. "Talk about what?"

Welp, no going back now. "You know, the Galra." He told him. "You always say _the empire_."

He wasn't sure when he'd picked up on it, but once he had, he couldn't help but notice that Keith was the _only_ one who never called them that.

Keith frowned, his brows knitting together. "Because the empire's the problem."

"Well yeah, that's true, but-" Hunk began.

Heaving a long sigh, Keith's frown deepened. "Hunk, do you honestly think that _an entire race_ of people is evil?"

Snapping his mouth shut, Hunk blinked. Because when he put it that way... no, he didn't.

"You don't think Allura's like... _lying_ to us, do you?" Hunk hesitated. He was pretty sure that wasn't what Keith meant, but sometimes he wasn't the best at picking up on stuff like that.

Keith merely let out a snort. "No, I don't think she's lying. But wars aren't black and white. You can't assume that everyone on the battlefield actually wants to be there."

There was something almost _definitive_ to that statement, like he knew, personally, and he couldn't help but take in just how _tired_ Keith looked in that moment. Maybe it was just because he hadn't slept in awhile, that had him looking more world weary than any eighteen year old had business looking.

( _Child soldier_ , some deeper part of him whispered and it wasn't as easy for him to quiet it this time.)

Which was where the mistake was made.

"I guess you'd know, huh?"

Oh no. Oh no, _oh no_ , _**oh no**_.

He hadn't... he hadn't meant to say that. Oh god, he hadn't meant to say that.

"What," Keith began, his voice cold as ice, "-is that supposed to mean?"

"I just-" Hunk stammered, suddenly, desperately wishing that he was literally anywhere but here.

" _Hunk_." Keith raised his voice, tone growing more insistent. "What did you mean by that?"

Deflating, Hunk felt his shoulders sag. God, if he was wrong, he'd feel so bad, but now that it was out in the open, he was overcome with the burning desire to _know_.

He tried to rationalize it as being for Keith's sake- the whole _no secrets_ thing- but he knew that part of it was just him being curious.

The other part of him wanted Keith to say _no_.

"It's my mom." He told him, watching as Keith's brows knit in confusion. "She's a combat medic, so she... she sees a lot of war zones and stuff. She... she doesn't talk about it often, but she does, sometimes, and it's just..."

"...you just kind of remind me of that." He finally said. "I- you can get mad at me all you want if I'm wrong, or hell, even if I'm _right_ , but I just... you've seen war before, haven't you?"

Each second that passed in silence was like an eternity of agony, sweat trickling down the back of his neck. He swore he could hear his heart hammering in his chest, so loud that he wouldn't be surprised if Keith could hear it too.

Keith drew back. He didn't shrink back, he just... drew back.

"Is... is that why you don't want to do the mind meld?" Hunk asked, voice hesitant.

For a long moment, Keith said nothing, did nothing- before he finally let out a sigh. It almost sounded like he was resigning himself, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt at that, wondering if he'd forced him into a metaphorical corner. "How much do you know?"

"I mean, I haven't figured out which conflict," and for a moment, he could have sworn he almost saw a flicker of _relief_ in Keith's eyes at that which... yikes, was it really _that_ bad? "-but I know it doesn't change the fact that we're buds."

And at that, Keith simply looked perplexed. "You barely even know me. How can we be friends?"

"I mean... sure, maybe I don't know a whole lot about you, but I know that you're not a bad guy." Hunk told him.

"I wanted to abandon Allura." Keith pointed out. "You sounded pretty upset about that."

"I mean, yeah, I was but... you were just thinking of the team, right?" Hunk ventured. "Turns out, you were probably right, charging into Central Command was a _terrible_ idea."

He let out a snort at that, and Hunk felt himself relax upon hearing it. " _Now_ you get it."

"Yeah, yeah, now I get it." Hunk said, giving him a small smile.

Keith glanced up at him, violet eyes peeking out from behind a mess of bangs. It was hard to think sometimes, that this was the same guy who'd hit level _thirteen_ on the training bots, but that lithe form had muscle to it.

Not to mention scars.

He wondered if they ever hurt.

"So uh," shifting nervously on his feet, Hunk twiddled his thumbs together, "-if you ever like, need to talk, you know where to find me."

For a brief moment, he could have sworn that Keith _smiled_ , like _really_ smiled- but it was gone fast enough that it could have just been his imagination. "I'll keep that in mind."

Maybe he wasn't sure if Keith's smile was real or not, but his sure as heck was. "You know, if you need a place to sleep, I'm sure Yellow would let you in."

"I don't think that would work." Keith told him. "Thanks, though."

Face falling, Hunk felt his shoulders slump. "Oh."

"Don't worry about me, I'll find a place to hunker down." Keith told him.

"I mean... you could always try like, your room?" Hunk ventured.

For a split second, he could have sworn that Keith hadn't even so much as considered that. If he didn't know where it came from, it might have been funny.

But knowing... it was stupid, maybe. Keith didn't need _protecting_ , least of all by him. He'd faced Zarkon and lived- sure, he'd been in a lion at the time, but he was pretty sure he'd have just quaked in his boots at the mere sight of him.

Keith hadn't hesitated.

It was as impressive as it was terrifying.

( _Child soldier_ , some darker part of him whispered, and he tried not to dwell on what that meant.)

"Yeah," tilting his head, Keith frowned, "-I guess maybe I could try that."

* * *

Staggering into his quarters, Keith lingered only long enough to lock the door this time, before collapsing into his largely unused bed.

Hunk _knew_ \- maybe not the whole truth, but too much of the truth. Rolling over, he fixed his gaze on the ceiling, as if trying to map out every detail. Was it... was he that obvious?

God, of course he was. Back on Earth they never would have gotten the chance to notice, but out here, thrust back into the same war he had been fighting most of his life, it was obvious.

He just considered himself lucky that Hunk seemed to think he'd been involved in some kind of _Earth_ conflict. Did Earth even _have_ conflicts? From what he'd seen of it, it was peaceful- but then, he'd never exactly paid much attention.

If Hunk knew, did everyone else know? Sitting up, he crossed his legs in front of him, hand darting into the space between the mattress and the wall. Using his fingers, he dug out the section that he had loosened, pulling out the small chunk of wall and removing the contents from within.

He'd bugged the castle-ship for a reason.

He half wanted to sleep, but didn't give into it just yet. Inserting the earpieces into his ears, he switched on the device, checking the bugs- starting with the one on the bridge.

No chatter there now- must be empty. Scrolling back, he flipped back to when they had first gone through the wormhole, starting to listen from there.

And was... thoroughly perplexed for awhile. Allura hadn't mentioned the time loop.

Eventually, he picked up on the part where they had first located Pidge- and it wasn't long before they had all gotten settled back on the castle-ship that the topic of _him_ had come up.

He'd expected... he didn't know, something more confrontational. He hadn't expected that _Allura_ , of all people, would sound so worried about him- they weren't exactly close.

At least Coran and Pidge hadn't told her much, just enough to sate her curiosity. Leaning back against the wall, he let out a breath of relief, but didn't stop there.

Glancing down at his right hand as he listened, Keith frowned. It seemed like the mottled purple color was going to stick, but at least it hadn't advanced. If it was going to do so, it probably already would have. Still, he could only hide it under the pretense of it being hurt for so long- he'd have to think of some other way to hide it.

Maybe he could ask Coran. He was a bit hesitant to do so, but the man hadn't betrayed him thus far, so perhaps he could rely on him just a bit.

It was so strange, the idea of relying on others. To be a Blade was to be self-sufficient. On base, there was nothing wrong with asking for a helping hand, but on a mission, you could only count on yourself.

For him, this was a mission.

For the paladins... he'd never really thought about it, but for them, this _wasn't_ a mission.

No wonder his experience with war was so transparently obvious. He was constantly in mission mode, while they weren't.

So much for _blending in_ , he thought with a snort. He sucked at being human.

And yet, they had accepted him anyways.

And here he was, spying on them.

Closing his eyes, the sting of guilt was stronger than it had ever been- but he knew the moment that the truth came out, everything would change.

And part of him... part of him didn't want to lose it, not just yet.


	4. advice

Hey look, it's chapter four! This about wraps up the time period between _Across the Universe_ and _Shiro's Escape_ , the latter of which will be the subject of the next chapter! Soon, the paladins shall learn about the existence of the Blade of Marmora- won't that be fun! As always, thanks for reading!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter four**

 **advice**

* * *

"Ah, Number Four! Come by to check on Shiro?"

Looking up, Keith turned his head towards Coran. The Altean man hovered by the door for a second longer, before he made his way into the med bay. "Yeah, just checking up on him."

"Well, I'm glad." Coran told him. "There's something I need to ask you, actually."

Frowning, Keith turned around fully. "If it's about Zarkon's witch, I'm not sure how much I can tell you."

"No, no, it's not that." Coran told him. "I believe our pods should be able to heal Number One fully, so no worries there. Should be out by tomorrow, perhaps even sooner, if all goes well!"

That was good to hear. With the red lion still offline, and Shiro still in a pod, he couldn't help but feel more out of place on the castle-ship than he usually did. At least he'd been able to get some sleep- longer and deeper than he usually slept, which he attributed to having so much taken out of him in the last battle.

"If it's not about Zarkon's witch, then what is it?" Keith asked.

"You see, when we found Shiro, he was wearing something rather interesting." Coran remarked, opening a drawer, fishing around in it. "Ah, here we are. I've never seen anything like it myself. Thought maybe you'd recognize it."

Blinking, Keith made his way to Coran's side. Wearing something? What did he mean by-?

Coming to a halt, he quickly snatched the pad from Coran, without so much as waiting for an invitation. Turning it over in his hands, he ran his fingers over the sticky side, narrowing his eyes. "Where did you say you got this?"

"As I said, Shiro was wearing it." Coran told him, giving him a curious expression. "So you _do_ recognize it then, I take it?"

Of course he recognized it. This was Marmora tech. But where would Shiro have...?

"You're _sure_ that Shiro was wearing this?" Keith asked.

"Yes, quite certain." Coran told him. "Peeled it off him myself, before sticking him in a pod. I was under the impression that it had some sort of healing property to it."

"You'd be right about that." Keith told him, handing it back. "It's a healing pad. Field agents carry a few of them, they're meant to keep wounds from worsening until proper medical treatment can be given."

It could also be used to speed up healing- he'd used one when he had been recovering from getting the device that kept him human implanted into the base of his spine. They weren't perfect, not like healing pods, leaving scars behind, but they had saved the lives of countless agents in the past- himself included.

But how did Shiro...?

"Where did you say you found Shiro?" Keith asked.

"Out towards the borderlands of Galra territory." Coran told him, bringing up a map with a swipe of his finger, bringing up what he could only assume were the exact coordinates. "According to the information that you gave me, I believe he was located somewhere within Warlord Ranveig's territory."

Frowning, Keith narrowed his eyes. They _did_ have spies in Ranveig's camp- several, in fact- so Shiro had to have gotten the pad from one of them.

Which meant he had trusted a Galra.

The idea wasn't so strange- he'd done it once before, with Ulaz. That he had done it again... no, he tried not to think too much on that.

"So this technology," Coran began, "-it belongs to your rebel group?"

Glancing up at the question, Keith narrowed his eyes. He hadn't said that much, but it wasn't exactly hard to guess. Giving him a curt nod of his head, he reached into a pouch, producing one that he had brought with him from Earth.

"They're standard issue." Keith told him. "Though most of mine were left back on Earth."

"I take it ending up all the way on Arus wasn't part of your plans, then." Coran observed.

Letting out a faint snort, Keith tucked the healing pad back away. "Not in the least."

The man let out a thoughtful hum, leaving him to wonder if he planned to press him with more questions. If Shiro really had come into contact with someone from the Blade of Marmora, it was possible that they might get into contact with Ulaz sooner than he had thought.

After all, fighting that gladiator again had stirred his memories of his time in the arena- who was to say this encounter wouldn't do the same?

It was an idea that filled him with equal parts anticipation and dread- for though he had just seen him, seeing Ulaz again would be fantastic. He had taught him everything there was to know in regards to hand to hand combat, taught him to turn what he perceived as a weakness into a strength.

But at the same time, the closer they drew to the Blade of Marmora, the less chance he had of keeping his true identity- and his allegiance- a secret.

If they were to create some kind of alliance, he knew that the truth would have to come out, one way or another. Allura would want to know what one of their agents had been doing on her ship- and while it was possible to come up with a cover story that kept his own intact, he knew that in such a situation, Kolivan would rather opt for the truth.

Stringing your allies along with lies was a risky business, especially when they already had every reason not to trust you. Once it was revealed that he was the _unknown_ , that he was part of the Blade of Marmora, the fact that he was Galra would naturally follow suit.

Coran must have known that he was the _unknown_ , at least. He'd never stated as much directly- but it wasn't hard for him to put two and two together.

"Did," Keith frowned, wondering if he should really be asking this, "-did Shiro say anything?"

"No, that he did not." Coran told him, shaking his head. "Only that it was a long story. Getting him into the healing pod as quickly as possible took priority, so Allura and I decided that the full story could wait until he recovered. Why?"

Shifting his weight, Keith contemplated his answer. Even if he didn't say anything, Shiro likely would- so heaving a short sigh, he folded his arms in front of himself. Best to get it out there on his own terms. "Because he had to have gotten it from a Galra."

Coran, to his credit, merely frowned, reaching up to thoughtfully twirl one end of his mustache. "You seem fairly certain of this."

"I am." Keith told him. "Because we're all Galra."

At that, his brows lifted, nearly touching the edge of his hairline. "All of you?"

"All of us." Keith repeated.

"Hm." Coran nodded his head. "I suppose it makes sense. It _is_ rather hard to think that Zarkon would have the entire race under his command."

"Trust me, he's tried." Keith remarked, arching a brow. "If he knew about us, he'd stop at nothing to stomp us out."

"Hence the secrecy." Coran remarked, looking understanding. "Now, one more question- what is this hand I am meant to have looked at?"

Flinching at the question, Keith all but instinctively buried his right hand deeper into the crock of his elbow. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"If you're hiding it, it can hardly be nothing, now can it?" Coran asked, arching a brow, already holding out a hand. "Come now, Number Four, let me see it. Let's put some truth to that lie of yours."

Grumbling, Keith produced his right hand, allowing Coran to slip off his glove, carefully unwinding the bandages. Whatever he had been expecting, it likely hadn't been what he found, given the surprised arch of his brows.

"It's from when I fought that druid." Keith supplied. "Got nicked by some residual energy."

Turning over his hand, Coran frowned, carefully tracing the mottled purple skin with a finger. "Does it hurt?"

"No." Keith told him truthfully. "It's not a burn, it's just- it's my skin."

"Ah." Merely nodding his head, Coran let out a low hum. "I see. Has it spread since then?"

Shaking his head, Keith flexed his fingers. "No. It's probably just a glitch."

"Well, I suppose you'd know more about it than I." Coran admitted, wrapping the hand back up. "Do you plan on simply hiding it? You can't pass it off as being injured forever."

"I don't know." Keith said, tugging his glove back on once he was done. "Haven't thought about it."

That wasn't exactly true- he'd thought about it, a lot. But if there was a chance that they might connect with the Blade of Marmora in the future, was there really any point? Once the truth was out, there would be no reason for him to keep this human form any longer.

He hoped.

For all his complex feelings on the matter, the thought of becoming _himself_ again... there was no part of him that didn't want that. He'd been wearing this human skin for far too long already- two years!-, and though he'd gotten used to it, he could never really claim he'd gotten _comfortable_.

His biggest fear was not being given that option- that Kolivan would tell him that he needed to remain this way so long as he served as the red paladin. Wearing this human face for the rest of his time as a paladin? He didn't know if he'd be able to stand it.

Whatever Kolivan decided, he would follow- but that didn't mean he had to be _happy_ about it.

"Well, do give it a bit of thought." Coran told him. "Now off with you. Hovering around his healing pod won't make him wake up faster."

"You'll let me know when Shiro wakes up?" Keith asked.

"Don't you worry about that, Number Four." Coran said, twirling his mustache. "I'll be sure to let everyone know when he's about to come out of the pod. I'm sure he'll be quite relieved to see you- he was awfully worried about you, as were we all."

"Yeah, that," Keith winced, still not sure what to make of that piece of information, "-sorry about that."

"No need to apologize." Coran told him. "Just good to see that you're alright."

Giving him a forced smile, Keith couldn't help but think how strange it was to hear those words from _Coran_. He was the only one on the ship who knew he was Galra- and after he had opted to abandon the princess, he was certain that his tune towards him would have changed.

But that didn't seem to be the case.

"I thought you'd be angry at me." Keith finally said.

"Angry at you?" Coran blinked. "What for?"

"For suggesting that we leave Allura."

"Ah, that." Coran clicked his tongue, before nodding his head. "Yes well, I cannot say in all earnestness, that I found your choice of words endearing," interesting choice of words, Keith couldn't help but think, "- _but_ I do at least understand where it was you were coming from."

"Oh," Keith frowned, "-good to know."

Lingering for a moment longer, Keith shifted on his feet, sparing a glance over towards Shiro's healing pod. He wished he'd been there for him when he'd faced down Zarkon's witch, but he didn't know how much help he would have been.

He'd have to thank Hunk again later. From the sound of it, it was his timely intervention that had saved him.

He'd probably have to thank Allura too, but that was... yeah, he didn't know how he felt about that. Until her suspicions cleared, maybe he was better off avoiding her.

* * *

Contrary to popular expectations, Lance _did_ actually train every once in awhile. Maybe not as often as he should, but hey, he still did it more than Pidge and Hunk, so that had to have counted for something, right?

It wasn't _his_ fault if there was someone here who just _loved_ throwing off the grading curve.

Which yeah- he was here. Keith, in all his glory- and believe him, that was sarcasm-, bayard sword in one hand, then another, the ambidextrous asshole that he was. One would think that having one of these things try to kill him would have been a turn off, but Keith and common sense appeared to be strangers to one another.

He didn't even know if he'd heard him come in or not- he was so focused on the gladiator, that it wouldn't shock him if he hadn't. Not wanting to get in the way, Lance hung back to the side, idly wondering what level he was on to get the thing to move like that.

However fast it was, it wasn't fast enough. He could have sworn that Keith had like, springs on his feet or something, because that was the only explanation as to how he had countered that blow. He made quick work of the gladiator after that, dispatching it with almost irritatingly effortless grace.

Pausing to wipe the sweat off his brow, Keith finally seemed to take notice of him, turning his way. "Come to get in some training, Lance?"

"No, I just like wandering around the ship in full paladin armor." Lance said.

"That's... sarcasm, right?" Keith asked, tilting his head.

"Yes Keith, that's sarcasm." Lance told him. "Believe me, this armor is _not_ my idea of day to day wear."

"Well if you need the deck, it's yours." Keith told him, his bayard transforming back into its default form. "I just finished up."

"Thanks." Lance told him, watching him with one eye as Keith hooked his bayard on his belt, heading for the corner where he'd left his things. His jacket was tossed to one side, but otherwise he wore his casual clothes. Outside of team exercises, Keith almost never wore his paladin armor to train.

Who knows, maybe he just liked showing off his arms. They had more muscle than he'd have given them credit for, but it was harder to pay attention to it when they were covered in scars.

Where had he gotten those, anyways?

He was grateful that the healing pods had fixed the damage from the explosion cleanly, not leaving any scars. Those things were nothing short of miracle workers.

Watching as Keith sat crosslegged on the deck, poking a straw into his water pouch, it became clear that he had no intention of going anywhere. Which, fine- maybe he was just taking the chance to cool down. It wasn't like Keith watching him bothered him any.

"So what level was that?" Lance asked.

"Hm?" Glancing up at him, Keith blinked. "Fourteen."

"Wha- _fourteen_?" Lance sputtered. "How are you- I barely cleared level _four_ the other day!"

Draining his pouch of water before he replied, Keith merely frowned. "Practice."

"No shit, Sherlock-"

"That's not my name."

"-but that's not what I- what?" Squinting, Lance frowned.

"...that's not my name?" Keith repeated, sounding less certain of himself this time.

"I know that's not your name, it's just a thing people say." Lance told him. "Geez Keith, were you raised under a rock or something?"

How did he not...?

Blinking, Keith set down his water pouch. "Oh."

Staring at him, thoughts of training forgotten for a moment, Lance became dimly aware that his mouth was open. Closing it, he watched as Keith seemed to settle into the corner, all but proving that he had no intention of leaving.

"So uh, you planning on watching me or something, because...?" Lance trailed off, shifting his weight onto his other foot.

"Yeah?" Keith told him. "That a problem?"

"No, no problem." Lance told him. "I mean, I guess I was watching you back there, so fair's fair, right?"

Right. Okay. He could do this. Keith watching him totally didn't bother him.

(It did. It bothered him a lot.)

Summoning his bayard, he transformed it into rifle form. The blue lion was, by far, the coolest part of the job, but the bayard was hands down the second coolest part. The cool sharpshooter of the team- or at least, that was the image that he was aiming for.

Starting up the drone training sequence- he didn't want to try the gladiators, not after Keith showing him up earlier. Especially not with him _watching_.

Which he was. Intently.

Pushing it aside, he focused on the exercise. It was easier to forget about him than he expected it to be, almost as if Keith's presence had vanished- so by the time he was done with the first round of drones, he was actually honestly surprised that Keith was still there.

"You have good aim."

Nearly leaping out of his skin, Lance let out a loud yelp. Yep, still here.

He had in fact, not budged from his spot at all. Likely he'd been watching him the whole time, including all the times he'd gotten shot. Though maybe he hadn't heard him right, because that sounded a lot like a...

"Was that a compliment, mullet?" Lance asked, cocking a brow.

Tilting his head, Keith looked a bit confused. "Yes? I thought that would be obvious."

Oh. Huh. Somehow he didn't really picture Keith as the type to compliment people- much less himself. They were _rivals_ , for crying out loud!

"You don't react fast enough, though. Your movements are too sluggish." Keith added. "You're not observant enough of your surroundings either."

 _And_ the moment was done. Narrowing his eyes, Lance frowned, resting his bayard rifle by his hip. Who the hell had died and made Keith the expert? "Yeah? And you could do better?"

"Yes."

The statement was so plain, so direct, that he couldn't even feel any malice from it. Hell, he was pretty sure Keith didn't even _mean_ anything by it, he was just stating what he saw as fact. And considering that the guy was already on level fourteen...

If he put his pride aside for one second, he couldn't say it wasn't true.

Didn't mean he had to take it.

Letting out a snort, Lance locked eyes with him. "Bet I'm still a better shot than you, though."

Narrowing his eyes, Keith frowned. "It's not a competition, Lance. I'm just trying to give you some advice."

Some advice- all he was doing was just listing off his faults! Which he knew already, thanks! If he wanted to deal with that, he could have just never left Earth.

"Well maybe I didn't _ask_ for your advice." Lance hissed.

"Look, I was just trying to-"

"Oh hey, Keith, there you are!"

Honestly, he should probably be glad for Hunk's timely interruption, before things escalated. Snapping his mouth shut, Lance looked his way, wondering for a moment what it was that he wanted _Keith_ for.

Oh right, the red lion. Hunk had been working on restoring it.

He still couldn't believe that Keith had tried fighting _Zarkon_. Seriously, what was this guy's deal? First he tells them that attacking Central Command was too risky, and that they should just ditch Allura, and then he challenges the head honcho himself?

Keith's gaze lingered him on a second longer, before he turned towards Hunk. "Hey, Hunk. Come to train?"

"What?" Hunk blinked. "Oh no, I'm not- I came to find you, actually."

"Me?" Keith blinked.

"Yup." Hunk told him. "Red lion's back. Thought you might want to know."

Keith perked up at that, getting to his feet and grabbing his jacket. "Yeah, I did. Thanks, Hunk."

"Anytime." Hunk told him, before finally turning his attention towards his friend. "Hey Lance. You getting in some training?"

"Yeah, just working on the old sharpshooter skills." Lance told him, giving his friend lazy grin. "Not staying, mullet?"

"I think you made it clear I'm not actually welcome here." Keith told him, tying his jacket around his waist- because ugh, of course he did. Who cares if it was practical, it looked terrible. "I should probably check on the red lion."

With that said, he brushed past Hunk, who watched Keith go with a bit of a frown, before turning back towards Lance. "...did you get into a fight with Keith?"

"No." Lance said, a bit too quickly.

Hunk, understandably, did not look convinced.

"Okay, maybe." Lance admitted. "I don't know- first he compliments my aim, then he starts digging into my weak points and telling me about how he could do better, and calling it _advice_. I can't figure the guy out sometimes, Hunk."

"I'm pretty sure he was just trying to help." Hunk told him. "He's just... you know, awkward. Probably didn't have as much of a chance to develop his people skills growing up. You should give him a chance."

Lance cocked a brow. It sounded a lot like Hunk was trying to defend him. "Since when are you and Keith such good buddies?"

He knew that Hunk had like, turned Keith into his pet project or something- something about correcting his god awful eating habits. Which he wished him luck with, but he wanted no part in himself, not after that one time he'd seen Keith literally pick food off the floor and eat it.

"I mean, I don't know if you could call us _buddies_ or not, but..." Hunk frowned, shifting on his feet, "-I mean, I'd like for us to be friends, but I don't want to _assume_ -"

" _Hunk_."

"-or pressure Keith to- huh? Oh, sorry. Rambling." Letting out a nervous laugh, Hunk twiddled his thumbs. "It's just... I talked with him yesterday, you know?"

"Yeah?" Lance asked. "He spill his life story or something?"

Which made sense. If he was going to confide in someone, Hunk was a great person to pick. He was a little jealous that he was edging into his best friend territory, but hey, it wasn't like he _owned_ Hunk.

"Kind of?" Hunk hesitated. "I might have uh, accidentally forced him into a corner."

Wincing, Lance gave his friend a sympathetic look. "Ouch. Surprised he didn't snap."

"I mean, he's not that bad." Hunk told him. "Yeah, he looked a little freaked out, but I wouldn't say he _snapped_. I think... I think he was more afraid, than anything."

Letting out a snort, Lance arched his brows in disbelief. "Keith? Afraid? Are we talking about the same guy?"

"I mean... yeah?" Hunk frowned. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Hunk, he trains without his armor. He challenged _Zarkon_." Lance told him. "I don't think Keith's afraid of anything, much less _feelings_."

"Hm, good point." Hunk admitted. "But like... Shiro's the toughest guy we know, and even he's afraid of stuff, right?"

"Yeah, true." Lance agreed- not that he could blame him. Being held prisoner by the Galra did not sound like a walk in the park. "So what, Keith's afraid of us finding out about his past?"

"Yeah, I think so." Hunk told him. "That's why he doesn't want to do the mind meld."

Oh yeah, he'd almost forgotten about that. Huh. He knew what Pidge's reasons were for avoiding it, but _Keith's_? Yeah, what was up with that?

"Guess that's why his end of the bond is always so closed off." Lance mused. "What do you think he's hiding that's so bad?"

Hunk tried to avert his gaze- but not fast enough. Lifting his brows, Lance took a few steps forward, fixing his gaze on his friend. "You already know, don't you?"

"I mean... I've got an idea?" Hunk frowned. "I- you know how Keith always talks about the Galra Empire, right?"

Frowning, Lance considered the question. Now that he mentioned it... he couldn't not think of even a single instance in which he just said _the Galra_. "Yeah. It's always _the empire_ , and stuff. What's up with that?"

"I think... I think maybe Keith's been in a war before." Hunk told him.

At first, he wanted to laugh. _Keith_? In a war? He was barely one year older than him, how could he have been in a-

...oh.

Oh, shit.

"Wait, okay, hold on-" were it not for his helmet, he would have run his hand through his hair, using the action to try and process his thoughts better, "-are you... are you saying that Keith was a _child solider_?"

Hello, explanation he never wanted.

Chewing on his lip, Hunk nodded. "I think... I think maybe on the wrong side, too."

"I- that's," opening and shutting his mouth, Lance realized he didn't know what to say to that, "-oh wow. I'm an _asshole_."

Christ, he really was, too. Keith hadn't been trying to needle at him- Hunk was right, he had been just trying to help. Sure, maybe he could have used a little more tact, but he already knew that Keith was lacking in the social skills department, even without Hunk telling him that much.

Had he seen people die before because they were too slow? Was... was that what that was about?

...had Keith seen people _die_?

"Right, okay, that's... that's a lot heavier than I expected," Lance admitted, "-but yeah, that makes sense. I hate it, but it makes sense. Have you... have you talked to Shiro about this? Does he know? Because I feel like Shiro should really know."

Because he was _so_ not qualified for this.

"I mean, I spoke to him about it before, after the Balmera, but not since then." Hunk told him. "I don't think Keith's told him anything either."

Huh. Judging from how close they were, he could have sworn Shiro would know about it. Guess not.

How did an ex-child solider end up at the Galaxy Garrison anyways? It was connected to the military, he guessed, so what- had Mullet been fished out of a war zone somewhere? That... sounded so plausible it was almost scary.

If Lance were to make a list of his favorite people, Keith wouldn't even be on it. But even he knew that when someone needed help, it was time to put differences aside.

And boy howdy, if Hunk was right, did Mullet ever need their help.

* * *

He felt Red even before he reached her hangar.

It was like a breath of fresh air, one that he didn't know that he needed. He hadn't realized how used he'd gotten to her presence in the back of his mind, until she had left him. Putting his argument with Lance out of his mind, he instead focused on that feeling.

Her golden eyes gleamed, head resting on the floor, as if she were waiting for him, and he found himself cracking a smile. If she held any ill will towards him for throwing her into that tough battle, he couldn't tell. Making his way across the red lion's hangar, he tentatively reached out, hesitating for the span of a moment.

In a flash, what Allura had told him yesterday came back. It was enough to make him draw his hand back- what if she was right, and he had been mentally compromised? Maybe he wouldn't be able to tell, but the red lion surely would have. Was he prepared for that rejection if he had been?

No, if he had been, better to face it sooner, rather than later, before it could become an issue. He'd turn himself over to Coran, rather than Allura, and pray that the latter would be merciful when the time came.

He'd rather be shot out of an airlock than potentially compromise the team or the Blades.

Drawing in a breath, he reached out, lightly pressing his hand against the red lion's massive jaw. For a moment, a static sensation coursed through him-

-and then she opened up, allowing him inside.

Exhaling, Keith felt his shoulders slump. The witch's magic had brushed up against his mind, but he was still whole.

Making his way into the red lion's cockpit, he settled into the pilot's seat. Closing his eyes, Keith leaned back his head, simply basking in the sound of her low rumble.

"Good to have you back, Red."

The red lion seemed to purr in response, and he felt his smile grow. There was an underlying note of frustration- at having failed to wreck her terrible vengeance against Zarkon.

"Maybe next time." He whispered. "We'll get him."

Dimly, it occurred to him that he should probably take this chance to contact Kolivan, but... eh. It could wait until tomorrow. Ulaz would have already informed him that he was fine, and that he had returned to the paladins, so there was no rush.

Besides, better to contact him once Shiro had recovered.

Speaking of which... he wanted to press him with questions about the Blade that Shiro had met. He wanted too, to ask about how Thace was doing- he owed him a debt.

They all did.

Maybe Shiro would tell him about the Blade. He wouldn't have any reason to hide it. Perhaps it was one he knew- perhaps even his mother.

But what were the odds of that?

About as good as the corrupted wormhole depositing him at his birthplace.

Huh, maybe Ulaz had a point.

Pulling up his legs into the pilot's seat, Keith settled in. He wasn't tired, but he hadn't been able to fully relax while the red lion had been offline. Closing his eyes, he was just about to get settled in, when a small screen popped up in the corner of his lion.

"Ah, Number Four!" Coran's voice nearly made him groan, dropping his feet and shooting the Altean man a small glare. "Thought you might be with the red lion. I've got some good news!"

Perking up at that, Keith sat up. "Shiro?"

"Indeed!" Coran told him, with a nod of his head. "He'll be waking up in oh, about a few doboshes or so. Thought you might like to know!"

"Yeah, thanks Coran." Keith told him, giving the man a smile. "I'll be right there."

Screen flickering off, Keith rose to his feet. The red lion lowered her head, a faint reassuring purr filling his mind. Smiling, he rested his hand on the lion's controls for a moment longer, before making his way down the ramp, and towards the med bay.

The red lion was back online, Shiro was waking up- for the moment, things were looking up.


	5. ulaz

Back into the territory of solid canon, time to tackle Shiro's Escape! Here's your boy, Ulaz! Again! As if there is ever such a thing as too much Ulaz. Hint: There's not. Ulaz is great.

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter five**

 **ulaz**

* * *

Keith.

For a moment, Shiro thought himself still dreaming.

The dream that had plagued his sleep had been vivid- too vivid to be anything but a memory. Even now, as he gradually returned to consciousness, the chill of the healing pod seeping from his bones, he could still recall it, down to each little detail.

Ulaz. The Blade of Marmora. His escape.

How could he have forgotten?

Realistically, he knew that it was likely from hitting his head. The explosion that Ulaz had set to cover his escape had enough force to send both him and the sentry he had been doing battle with flying forward, so that would more than suffice to knock the memory right out of him.

Combined with the strange Galra he had met on the planet the black lion had crashed on, he knew that this wasn't a matter he could leave alone. He _had_ to follow up on this. There was one thing their assault on Central Command had made crystal clear- that if they were going to have any hope of winning this war, then they _needed_ allies.

But first things first- Keith.

His touch grounded him, helping him alongside Hunk as he staggered out of the healing pod. He dimly recalled that Coran had placed him in one, and found his hand straying to his side. He couldn't feel any more pain, and it no longer hurt to breathe, which he took as a good sign.

"Keith," cracking a smile, Shiro looked down at him, "-they found you."

"Yeah," returning his smile, Keith nodded his head, "-they did."

Exhaling, Shiro felt his shoulders slump in relief. It was a thought that had plagued him as he'd drifted off- that they still hadn't been able to locate the red lion. So to see Keith here, now, seemingly no worse for wear- it was a huge relief, to say the least.

Or close to it, he thought.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Shiro asked.

Blinking, Keith lifted it up. "Just a little banged up. This is mostly just a precaution."

Frowning, he didn't know if he fully bought that or not, but for the most part, he seemed to be using it just fine. For the moment, he'd take his words at face value. There were bigger things to focus on right now.

"It is good to see you on your feet again." Allura spoke up, hovering at the edge of the group, as if she did not want to interrupt the reunion. "But there are still questions that I must ask you, Shiro."

"Of course." Nodding his head, Shiro stood up to his full height. "There's something I need to talk to you about as well. Just let me get changed, and we can get right into it."

Satisfied with that, Allura nodded her head. "Very well. Then let us reconvene in the lounge in half a varga."

"Actually," Shiro interjected, "-do you think we could move that to the green lion's hangar? There's something I'd like to have Pidge check out for me."

Blinking, Pidge pointed at herself. "Me?"

Giving her a faint smile, Shiro nodded his head. "You're our resident tech expert."

Allura seemed to frown, but nevertheless, accepted his words. "Very well then. We shall all meet in the green lion's hangar. Still in half a varga, though."

"I'll get something from the kitchen for Shiro." Hunk piped up. "You've been in there like, two days, so I'm guessing you probably feel a bit on the peckish side by now, right?"

"I do, actually." Shiro admitted. "Thanks, Hunk."

"And I'll help Shiro back to his room!" Lance chimed in, all but cutting off Keith, who he suspected was about to make the same offer. Catching the faint glower he sent towards him, he merely shrugged. "What? You snooze, you lose, mullet."

Brows furrowing, Keith's glower didn't fade. "I'm not even _asleep_ , Lance."

"Figure of speech." Lance told him, seeming to brush it off. "Come on, Shiro. I bet you're _dying_ to get out of that cryosuit. I should know."

Glancing towards Keith, who he could have sworn was sulking just a tad, Shiro looked back towards Lance. It almost seemed like he had made the offer on purpose- but he was right about one thing.

The faster he got out of this cryosuit, the better. The clothes that he had been provided as a Galra prisoner had been threadbare, but at least they weren't _itchy_ , which the cryosuit was, to no small degree.

He... probably shouldn't mention that to Allura, though. She likely wouldn't take it well.

"We'll catch up later, Keith." Shiro told him, resting a hand on his shoulder, making sure to telegraph the action.

Nodding his head, Keith didn't quite look up at him. "Yeah. Sure."

Turning towards Lance, he arched a brow as he made a show of performing a sweeping bow, extending one hand out to his side. "After you, oh fearless leader."

Indulging him, Shiro took the lead. It was only after they had left the infirmary, that Lance finally decided to say what was on his mind. Just like he suspected, he had been trying to get him alone.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Lance." Shiro told him, giving him a reassuring smile. "You can always come to me about anything. Did something happen on the planet you and Hunk landed on?"

"No." Lance immediately replied, before reconsidering. "Well, yes. A lot of things happened, actually. But that's not the point."

"It's about- it's about _Keith_ , actually." Lance ventured, for once in his life, almost sounding hesitant. Lance was a lot of things, he'd started to gather, but _hesitant_ wasn't one of them. Especially not on the subject of Keith.

"What about Keith?" Shiro asked.

"Well, uh," chewing on his lip, he flagged half a step behind him, "-Hunk kind of talked to him, while you were out."

Ah. Mention of Hunk made things a bit clearer.

"He talked to you about his theory, didn't he?" Shiro asked. "Is this what this is about?"

"It's uh- kind of less of a theory at this point." Lance told him.

Coming to a halt at that, Shiro stared down at him, wondering if he was really saying what he thought he was. "Keith opened up to you?"

Something about that didn't sound right. Sure, Hunk had been making strides when it came to befriending the usually withdrawn boy (tempting him with food, like the stray cat he was), but _Lance_? The two of them being in the same room usually resulted in bickering, not exactly the best grounds for a friendship to form.

Especially not one that ran deep enough for Keith, for whom secrets seemed to be a means of survival, to open up to.

"Not exactly?" Lance frowned, rubbing the back of his head. "It was more to _Hunk_ , and even then, he kind of forced it out of him. By accident." He was quick to add.

That made a bit more sense, he'd admit.

"Alright," turning so that he could look him eye to eye, Shiro ignored the itchiness of the cryosuit for the time being. This was more important. "-what did Keith say?"

"Well he didn't so much _say_ anything, not exactly." Lance confessed. "But he didn't exactly _deny_ anything either. So the uh, the war thing is true, at least."

That stung, he'd admit. Even if it hadn't been in the same way Hunk thought it was, being involved in a war, _especially_ for someone of Keith's age, was nothing good. Being thrown back into one?

That was worse.

"We thought you should know about." Lance told him. "Since you know, you're the leader and all. And since Keith listens to you."

Letting out a snort at that, Shiro couldn't exactly help himself. "Sorry to disappoint, but Keith doesn't exactly listen to me."

"Uh, I mean, yeah, he kind of does?" Lance told him. "You're like the _Keith tamer_."

"That was you, huh?" Shiro asked, arching a brow. The guilty expression on Lance's face spoke volumes.

Still, he sensed that Lance was concerned about this, and that was telling. Lance and Keith didn't exactly get along- they tolerated each other at best, but he couldn't exactly claim that they were friends. So for him to be this concerned... it spoke to just how deeply the issue was troubling him.

Not to mention to Lance's overall character.

There were some issues that needed to be worked out, sure, but there was a heart of gold under there. Somewhere. Probably past the Casanova wannabe.

Resting a hand on Lance's shoulder, Shiro gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll talk to Keith."

He didn't know if it would do any good, but if his fellow paladins were _this_ worried about him, he couldn't exactly turn a blind eye to the matter. Besides, he was worried about it too.

Whatever Keith's past, it didn't change the fact that in the present, he was someone that he thought fondly of. His stray cat metaphor was a damned good one- just as Keith had been warming up to him, he'd been warming up to Keith.

He was a good kid. That much was clear to Shiro- that his heart was very much in the right place. Even _if_ he was willing to sacrifice others, he suspected that he was just as willing to be sacrificed himself- which was a chilling thought.

He'd just been raised that way. Perhaps with patience and understanding, he'd be able to undo that. It wasn't as if he didn't see value in his life, nor the lives of others- he just knew, perhaps all too well, that war involved sacrifices.

He'd told Pidge that much, on the Galra cruiser that carried the red lion, before he'd realized that she was actually Katie Holt, Sam's daughter. Before it had really sunk into him that what he was leading into battle was nothing more than a ragtag group of children.

Shaking it off, Shiro instead focused on the grateful smile Lance gave him.

"Thanks, Shiro." Lance told him. "Just- don't tell mullet I sent you, okay? I've got an image to maintain."

Letting out a faint snort, Shiro cracked a smile. "Don't worry. Your secrets safe with me."

* * *

The fact that a Galra had saved him went over about as well as he'd expected it to.

Which was to say, not at all.

Or at least, _most_ of them didn't. Keith said nothing, merely hanging back, a bit away from the others, but that was almost to be expected. Hunk was curiously silent as well, looking almost contemplative- and he didn't miss the brief way his gaze turned towards Keith.

He'd have to ask him about that later. He got the feeling that maybe Lance had left something out.

"You trusted a _Galra_?" The words came out almost as an accusation, a sting of betrayal evident on Allura's face. He understood it, knew where it was coming from- she had literally _everything_ taken from her by them.

But even knowing that, he wasn't going to back down.

Maybe he hadn't lost as much as her to them, but he still had lost things- his arm, his freedom, his mental well being. Besides, loss wasn't exactly a competition.

"Yes." His voice was resolute. "I was able to escape because of her."

"I don't know, Shiro." Pidge piped up. "Are you sure it wasn't some kind of a trap? Maybe there was some kind of tracking device in the patch."

"There wasn't." Coran chimed in. "I checked it out myself. Just a patch."

Exchanging a glance with Coran, Shiro couldn't help but note that he also seemed to be taking this news well. Like Allura, he had lost everything to the Galra- so that took him a bit by surprise, he'd admit. Then again, he didn't really know Coran as well as he should.

"It wasn't." Shiro told them. "If they wanted the black lion, they could have just taken it. I wasn't in much of a condition to fight back."

"He does kind of have a point." Hunk said, flinching a little when Allura narrowed her eyes at him. "What? He does. They could have just used the black lion's signal to lure us here."

It was true, and Allura knew it. She wasn't happy about it, but it was enough to keep her quiet for the time being.

"This isn't the first time this happened either." Shiro told him. "While I was in the healing pod, I finally remembered how I managed to escape from the Galra. Someone helped me."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Keith perking up a bit. The moment he caught him looking at him, his expression settled back into it's neutral, impassive default.

"Another Galra, I'm assuming." Allura said.

Looking her square in the eye, Shiro didn't back down. "Yes."

"So what? You're saying there's some kind of Galra rebellion?" Lance asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." Shiro told him. "When he freed me, he told me that he put coordinates in my arm. That if I made it, I should go to them."

"So that's why you wanted me." Pidge noted. "Let's see it, then."

Resting his arm on the table she had set up, Shiro pulled his chair a bit closer, to give her better access to it. She poked and prodded it for a few minutes, before she hooked it up to her system, wasting no time in getting to work.

"This Galra you met," Keith's voice took them all by surprise, he felt. He'd been so silent up until this point. "-on the planet. She have a name?"

Blinking at the question, Shiro realized he hadn't given her name. "Krolia."

His reaction was so faint, it was like he'd barely made it. He was almost entirely sure the others _had_ missed it, but he caught it- the slight pull of his lips, an almost silent hum escaping him. It's worth noting, but he doesn't quite know what to make of it.

"Well, I'm not seeing any coordinates here." Pidge spoke up, breaking the hushed silence that had fallen after that. "Are you sure this wasn't just a dream?"

"I'm _positive_." Shiro told her, though he could understand her doubt. A dream had while in a healing pod didn't sound like the most reliable source of information, but he knew in his gut that it had actually happened. " _Someone_ helped me escape."

"And he was Galra?"

Allura's tone was harsh, and while he considered himself a patient man, his past few days had involved getting hurled into an escape pod, blasted into space, zapped by a space witch, and shot out of a corrupted wormhole. It had been a rough time for him, so he felt he was at least a little justified at being short with her in return.

Besides, he wasn't the _only_ one who needed to tell the team something.

"Your father must have trusted them once." He began, looking her dead in the eye. "Zarkon _was_ the original black paladin, wasn't he?"

The pull he had towards the black lion... it was the only explanation.

The shock that swept over the group was understandable- all of them, except for Keith. But then, Keith had been the only one to fight him. He'd _seen_ him use his bayard- the black bayard- and said as much, not holding back in the least with his words.

Allura, for her part, looked regretful. It was clear that this wasn't how she had planned for things to go, and her reasons, when she gave them, were relatively sound. Still, it was a lot of her to ask from them, to be honest and truthful with each other, when she wasn't willing to do the same in return.

Zarkon being the original black paladin... that was an idea he was still trying to wrap his head around. No wonder there was a sting of betrayal to all of the princess' words, whenever she spoke of the Galra.

He wondered what the black lion thought. It didn't communicate with him as much as he suspected the other lions did with their paladins. Their bonds all felt deeper than his own- though none so much as the bond between Keith and the red lion.

Maybe he should start sleeping in his.

"Wait a second," Pidge spoke up, "-I think I see it now."

In short order, his dream was proved very real- coordinates, installed into his arm, just as Ulaz had said. The Thaldycon system.

"That's where we're headed."

"Are you sure?" It was Lance who spoke up. "I mean, I trust you Shiro, but this seems kind of weird to me. What if Pidge is right? What if this _is_ some kind of trap?"

"That's just a chance we'll have to take." Shiro told him.

"Why would it be a trap?" It was Keith who spoke up, once more taking them all by surprise. "Those coordinates had to have been put into his arm _before_ Shiro became the black lion's paladin. Why bother?"

Frowning, Shiro carefully studied Keith. Maybe the others didn't know him as well, but the fact that he was willing to throw caution to the wind, and trust in what he said was... _unusual_ for him, to say the least. Normally, Keith was the _last_ person he'd expect to trust something like this, not the first.

He was used to him being skittish and paranoid. What about this was different?

"He is right about that." Coran said. "It _does_ seem awfully elaborate for a trap."

Gritting her teeth, Allura stiffened her shoulders. "Fine. We will head for the Thaldycon system. But just for the record, I _do not_ like this."

* * *

Keith left the meeting as soon as it was over.

He sensed Shiro looking at him, and got the feeling that he wanted to talk to him. But they only had half an hour at best before they made their next wormhole jump, and he couldn't afford to waste time with what might be a lengthy conversation. He felt a little bad about giving Shiro the slip, but he needed to contact Ulaz, and do it fast.

He needed to know they were coming.

Slipping into the red lion, he listened to her soft purr as he took his seat. Pulling out his transmitter, he tuned the frequency to that of the communications base they had tucked away in the Thaldycon system. That was where they would find Ulaz, where he had been sent ever since he'd broken his cover.

Remote, hard to find, and difficult to get into.

Every Blade of Marmora base was selected with those three traits in mind. Secrecy was important, they couldn't afford to have people just stumble on them by chance.

A faint smile tugging at his lips, he couldn't help but imagine how fascinated Pidge would be by the gravity generator. Maybe they could use it to their advantage, an edge to push her over to the side of going, rather than staying.

"Kyix. I did not expect you to contact me again so soon."

Ulaz's voice was good to hear, even though he'd heard it not so long ago, and in person at that. When he had left to go undercover in the Galra Empire, posing as a technician, he'd always known there was a chance he might never see him again. He would be working closely with the druids- contact was dangerous.

But now he was free from that, so even if he did have to remain hidden, contacting him was a fair bit easier than it had been before.

"Neither did I." Keith confessed. "But I've got some good news."

"Oh?" Ulaz questioned. "Do tell."

"We're headed your way." Keith told him.

"That is good news." Ulaz remarked. "I take it Shiro's memories returned to him?"

"The bit about escaping, at least." Keith told him. "It wasn't easy, but he managed to talk Allura into it. I've sent you the access codes to the ship. There's a hatch on the outer hull on level five that you can sneak in through."

"I _could_ always just hail you." Ulaz pointed out.

Frowning, Keith considered it for a moment. It _would_ be easier.

"That would just confirm that you knew we were coming." Keith said.

"As would someone providing me with access codes." Ulaz pointed out. "But I suppose it would be a good chance to put the paladins to a test. Have they faced many Galra in combat?"

"Mostly it's just been sentries." Keith told him.

Considering it, Ulaz let out a low hum. "Perhaps it would be a good chance to make them wise to the fact that not all of their opponents are going to run on automated systems."

Perking up, Keith couldn't help but grin. "So that means we'll get to spar again?"

"In a sense, I suppose it does." Ulaz admitted. "Though you do realize I do not intend to let you win, young one."

"Ulaz, you have never let me win even once in my life." Keith pointed out. "Why would you start now?"

"Out of consideration for your human form." Ulaz told him. It was a Galra trait to be stoic, so not many could tell when one was joking, which he knew Ulaz was doing right now, at this very moment, without so much as batting an eye.

"Hilarious." Keith said dryly.

"Yes, I find it as such." Ulaz observed. "You are sure that this will provide you with no difficulties? It is to my understanding that they have seen you once before in your armor. They will most likely make the connection."

"Just say it's someone we sent to gather information." Keith said with a shrug. "It wouldn't exactly be lying."

"Fair enough." Ulaz admitted. "In that case, I shall begin my preparations. I will see you soon, Kyix. Though I suppose perhaps, that I should call you _Keith_ instead?"

Quirking a faint grin, Keith nodded his head. "Probably, yeah. See you soon, Ulaz."

Switching off his transmitter, he slumped back in his chair. He wanted to ask Ulaz about his mother, to confirm that she was really working underneath Warlord Ranveig, but there wasn't time.

Hell of an assignment. He knew his mother could handle it though.

To think that Shiro had met her... he'd joked about it before, but he guessed the odds of it were actually really good, since it had, in fact, happened. _Someone_ must have told his mother about Shiro, which meant someone must have been feeding her periodic updates on his own mission- and he could make a few guesses as to who.

If it wasn't Regris, it was Vrek. Had to be.

Maybe if he told that to Kolivan, he'd go a bit easy on him in regards to the whole _challenging Zarkon_ thing. Which reminded him- he _still_ needed to contact him.

In his defense, now just wasn't the best time. The pressing priority had been to contact Ulaz- he'd have plenty of time to contact Kolivan later.

He wasn't putting it off. Nope. No way. Not a chance.

(He was totally putting it off.)

* * *

When the intruder alert went off, Shiro felt tension gather in his shoulders. How had someone been able to just slip into the Castle?

Then again, it had happened once before- but that had been when they were on the ground, not floating in the middle of space. Watching with one eye as Allura searched the camera footage, she eventually found what she was looking for, bringing it up for all to see.

It was Lance who spoke first. "Is that...?"

"No." Pidge said. "It's the same uniform, but whoever this is, they're _way_ too tall."

"Whatever the case, they broke into the Castle." Allura told them, her voice tense. "We cannot just let them run amuck as they please."

"She's right." Shiro said. "Everyone, suit up. We're heading down to level five."

Clad now in his paladin armor, Shiro felt a familiar tension in his body. He knew this feeling- even while most of his memories of his time as a Galra prisoner were still fragmented, he was able to recognize it. It was the same feeling he got whenever he waited for a challenger in the arena, that tense feeling of anticipation, mingled with dread.

The tension the other paladins held was different. Hunk was just plain worried, and Pidge and Lance were that too- though the former was more curious than the latter, who was trying to cover up his own worry with no small amount of bravado.

Keith was just excited. It didn't show on his face, but there was a gleam of it in his eyes.

The same violet eyes as Krolia.

He tried not to think about that.

He'd go back over the footage later, after everything had calmed down. As it stood, he was the last one to clash with the intruder- though even over the coms, one thing became apparent to him.

They weren't attacking.

Defending, yes, but not once did they _attack_.

They were fast, light on their feet in spite of their massive size. There was something _familiar_ about the way they fought, but he just couldn't manage to place it.

No one could come close to them, except for Keith, who landed one solid kick that forced them back more distance than he would have thought possible coming from someone of the red paladin's size. Even he had still been disarmed in the end, tossed like a ragdoll towards Hunk and Lance.

When he came up, he'd come up laughing. It was a faint sound, one that both Lance and Hunk would have concluded that they had misheard, were it not for the gleam in Keith's eyes.

He was having _fun_.

(In hindsight, that really should have been his most obvious clue.)

It was only when they clashed, taking advantage of the element of surprise to corner him, that the intruder withdrew his sword, pulling down his hood and revealing their face.

"...Ulaz?"

* * *

Seeing Ulaz again so soon was great.

Seeing Ulaz in chains? Not so great.

Hanging at the back of the group, Keith shifted uncomfortably on his feet. This didn't feel right- being free and unsuspected, while Ulaz was effectively being treated like a prisoner. A quick glance from Ulaz assured him that it was alright, for him to continue to maintain his cover, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

It was _guilt_ , he recognized. Different from the guilt he felt about lying to the paladins- more raw. If Ulaz was being treated like this, then he should be too.

Thankfully, everyone else was too focused on Ulaz, paying him no mind. When Ulaz gave them the name of the group he was working with, nobody noticed that he bit too hard on the inside of his lip, tasting blood.

"We have seen one such wearing your same armor before." Allura observed, her tone cold. "On Arus. On _my_ ship. Tell me, what were they doing there?"

"Reconnaissance." Ulaz answered flatly. "We received rumors that Voltron had been reformed. Our leadership wished to verify it themselves. I can assure you, no harm was intended."

"Reconnaissance." Allura replied. "On the same day our ship was nearly taken by Sendak."

"Mere coincidence, I can assure you." Ulaz told her- and nobody but him saw the irony in him saying that. Ulaz, who didn't believe in coincidences, backed into a corner where he was forced to acknowledge that they might exist.

 _Ulaz_ knew it, and was staring straight at him the entire time. He had to fight the urge to grin.

"Yeah, sorry if we find that kind of hard to believe." Lance said.

"I mean, they _did_ kill Haxus." Pidge pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's not like they stuck around to help after that." Lance said. "And hey, I thought you were on the side that this was all one big trap."

"I'm not on any side." Pidge told him. "I'm just considering the options."

"I'm on the side that finds out if there are any others here." Hunk ventured, holding up a hand. "Are there? Like, he's working with a group, right?"

 _Yeah, one_ , Keith thought to himself. _Me_.

"I am alone on this base." Ulaz reported.

Not technically a lie.

He kept his silence at the ensuing exchange. Allura's sharp tongue grated at him, but he forced himself to ignore it. She had every reason to hate the Galra- he knew that much. Dealing with this sort of thing was nothing new.

They were born into a universe in which the Galra had done vile deeds, there was no denying that, and he never would. That they were all painted under the same brush was something that could not be avoided. All they could do was back up their words with their actions, become something better, and hope it was enough.

Still, he couldn't help but get some faint amusement out of the sheer excitement Pidge displayed over the _space pocket_ , as she put it. Maybe his human act needed some work, but at least he could read them well enough.

And Shiro- Shiro who steadfastly stood by Ulaz, even in the face of the doubt expressed by the others. The belief that he put in him, the _faith_ \- even after everything he had been put through at the hands of the Galra Empire, it stayed strong, true.

It wasn't a trait he could have anticipated, back on Earth, where no human even knew what a Galra was. But it made him glad once again, that if there was any human he'd let himself get attached to, it was Shiro.

He could understand why the black lion had chosen him.

"Keith?"

Glancing up, he realized that Shiro was talking to him- and that furthermore, everyone was looking at him. Blinking, Keith frowned. "Yeah?"

"What's your opinion?" Shiro asked.

"We already know what mullet's opinion is." Lance said, rolling his eyes. "Pretty sure he made that clear back in the green lion's hangar."

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith gave them a blank look. "I stand by it. I don't think this is a trap. If this _Blade of Marmora_ ," and that indifference was going to come back to bite him later, wasn't it, "-says that they want to help us, I think we should believe them."

Granted, it was _Kolivan_ they needed to convince, not Ulaz. That might be the real trick of it.

"Then it's settled." Shiro said. "We'll go with Ulaz to his base."

"You can." Allura said, her tone curt. " _I_ will remain here."

"And _I'll_ stay here to protect the princess." Lance chimed in. Keith had to wonder if he was honestly _that_ oblivious to the fact that if push came to shove, the princess would probably end up being the one protecting him.

She trained when no one was looking. Keith had seen what she could do. That, combined with the compassion and determination that she had shown on the Balmera, had earned his grudging respect.

Even if she _was_ likely to shoot him out of the closest airlock if she found out he was Galra.

"Alright," giving the princess and Lance a curt nod of his head, Shiro looked back towards Keith, "-duly noted. Think you can fly us out, Keith?"

Blinking, wondering if there was a particular reason he'd been chosen, Keith merely gave him a nod of his head. "Yeah. Sure."

Exchanging the briefest of glances with Ulaz, Keith dared a faint smile. Before anyone else could notice, he ducked his head away.

At least he'd get to take Ulaz with him inside the red lion. What he really wanted was to show Thace, who had taught him to fly, but if he was being realistic, that probably wouldn't happen. The post he had now was too valuable to the Blade of Marmora, he wasn't likely to risk it for anything.

His mom, too, of course- he wanted to show her too. Now that he knew where she was stationed, the only thing keeping him from going to her was a staunch understanding that in doing so, he could not only put her at risk, but their entire operation. No matter how much he wanted to see her, he wouldn't do that.

He wasn't a child anymore. Hadn't been from the day he'd taken his first trial.

They had a war they needed to fight- and with Voltron's help, they might actually have a shot at _winning_ it.


	6. sacrifice

Oh hey, look, it's Kolivan, showing up six chapters in with locally roasted independent coffee because he can fight tyranny _and_ capitalism. Multitasking! Just a light joke to start off this chapter which- hoo boy, this chapter. It is a thing. Boy howdy. Is it ever. A thing. And also how about the season 7 date? August! Isn' that exciting. I'm excited.

Until next time~!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter six**

 **sacrifice**

* * *

"Keith, you okay?"

Glancing over towards Shiro, Keith blinked. He hadn't expected Shiro to pull him aside, even if he sensed he'd been meaning to talk to him. "Yeah, fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

There was concern written in his features, and for a moment, he couldn't place why. "Just thought that maybe the space pocket might have some kind of effect on you, that's all."

Oh. That made sense, he guessed. Giving Shiro a weak smile, Keith put on his helmet. "I'm fine, Shiro, I promise. This is nothing."

There was a faint sense of distortion, but it was nothing compared to the corrupted wormhole. If he didn't focus on it, he could barely even feel it.

Shiro, however, took his answer the wrong way, frowning. "So it _is_ something."

Heaving a sigh, Keith gave Shiro a look. "I know you're worried about me Shiro," which was still a weird concept for him, but okay, if that's what they were doing, he guessed he could accept that, "-but I promise you, I'm fine. I've had this ability my entire life, I'm not about to drop dead because of minor background interference."

That seemed to put Shiro more at ease, his frown fading. "Alright, if you say so Keith. I'm still just trying to wrap my head around it."

That was fair too. There was a lot about his own _reazit_ that he didn't understand, that none of them did. It wasn't like his grandmother's, who possessed the ability to alter the flow of quintessence. It was what allowed her to construct the device that kept him human in the first place, though few of their agents had ever had the chance to use it.

It was funny to think that he was one of them, given how sickly he'd been in his infancy. He was lucky to have survived- if his mother hadn't gotten him back to the main base in time, he probably never would have made it.

A sobering thought.

"Now come on," Shiro told him, resting a hand briefly on his shoulder, "-let's not keep Ulaz and the others waiting. I'm pretty sure Pidge is ready to vibrate out of this reality if we don't hurry up and show her how this space pocket works."

Letting out a faint snort, Keith glanced over towards Pidge, to where she was lingering by the red lion's ramp. She certainly _looked_ excited, barely containing herself, on the verge of asking a million questions the moment she so much as got the chance. He had a feeling she'd like it, so it was good to see that he was spot on.

Hunk just looked nervous, but that was to be expected. That he was willing to go- and the fact that he was the first one to volunteer hadn't escaped him- was definitely a sign of the progress that he had made since becoming the yellow paladin.

He doubted either of them actually trusted Ulaz, but they were willing to at least _try_. He tried to take that as it was- a positive, but at least Ulaz was being up front about what he was, not pretending to be something and someone else like he was.

He just hoped that when the time came, it wouldn't crush everything that they had built so far. It was just- the universe needed Voltron, so they needed to be able to connect with each other on some level, and he couldn't risk that.

That was all.

He should tell them, some part of him whispered.

Right here, right now, without waiting for Kolivan's orders. They had come this far, and even after seeing Central Command for themselves, seeing firsthand what overwhelming odds they were facing, none of them had backed out of the fight. They deserved to know the truth about who they were fighting alongside.

But he didn't. Instead, all he did was mutter something along the lines of _wouldn't want that_ , and busied himself with launching the red lion. If Shiro noticed that he was trying to distract himself, he didn't say anything- and he didn't even have to ask if Ulaz noticed.

Of course he did.

Still, he put it from his mind, instead listening to Red's low purr fill his mind. He had never been to this particular base before, so at least in so far as that went, he was on a level playing field with the other paladins. He knew that the gravity generator had been designed by Slav- and he couldn't help but twitch when Ulaz mentioned his name- but beyond that, he knew basically nothing about this place.

He didn't even know where to dock, not without Ulaz pointing it out.

There was something strange, he thought, about being in one of the Blade of Marmora's bases, clad in the armor of a paladin. He hadn't paid the feeling much mind when the wormhole had deposited him at the abandoned base, not with so many other things to think about, but now he couldn't shake it.

Hanging behind the rest of the group, Keith watched as Ulaz lead them to the control room, unable to shake the strange feeling of _distance_. It made his skin crawl, especially since he couldn't pinpoint the cause of it- was the distance he felt between him and Ulaz, and thus, the Blade of Marmora as a whole, or was it between him and the paladins?

He didn't know. He didn't feel like he wanted to think about it that much.

This was one of their bases, yes, but just like the abandoned one, this wasn't _home_. It was a line of thought that caught him separating himself from the rest of the group, trying to bury the feeling deep down.

He had never felt homesick before, not exactly. Sure, he missed his fellow Blades- but it wasn't the same intense feeling that sometimes plagued Lance, or the longing that would haunt Pidge at all hours of the night. Now, however, he felt it- and decided very quickly that he didn't like it, not one bit.

Shaking it off, he joined everyone else.

Pidge asked about her family, which he had expected.

Shiro asked about Ulaz's blade, which he did not.

He hadn't brought his own knife with him, not this time. Usually he kept it concealed in his armor, not wanting to part from it, but he'd left it behind this time, just in case. It was an overabundance of caution on his part- Ulaz wasn't about to do anything that would blow his cover, but carrying it around during a time like this made him feel like he was holding a hot coal.

"It is a ceremonial blade that each member of our order carries." Ulaz told Shiro, holding out the blade for him. "We can use it to identify our fellow agents in the field."

"Is it made out of luxite?"

Pidge's sudden question took them both a bit off guard, Keith sensed.

"Yes." Ulaz told her, sheathing his blade. "How did you know?"

"Coran told me." Pidge confessed. "I asked him about Haxus, and he said that the weapon that was used to kill him was likely made out of luxite. And since we now know for sure that it was someone from the Blade of Marmora that did him in, I just thought it was likely."

"Yeah, what was with that anyways?" Hunk asked. "Like, not that I'm complaining about the help, but it would have been kind of nice if they'd, you know, stuck around."

Keith forced himself to keep his expression neutral, biting back a comment that he _had_. He knew this was going to come back to bite him at some point, he just hadn't expected it to be like this.

"You would have to ask them." Ulaz remarked, doubtlessly getting some form of amusement from his predicament. "Not many of our agents are trained to deal with hostage situations. Perhaps they decided the risk was too high, and that it was better to allow you to handle it on your own."

"Still, we owe him our thanks. Taking out Haxus was a huge help." Shiro said. "The situation could have ended much worse were he not there."

"Yeah, snooping around _our_ ship." Pidge pointed out.

Technically, not snooping. Allura had allowed him free access to the castle-ship. Granted, she'd done so under the impression that he was _human_ , but still.

"I will pass on the message, given the chance." Ulaz told him- and there it was, the faintest note of mirth in his voice. Keith arched a brow at it, but bit back any remark that he was tempted to make.

He was _not_ going to blow his cover over a smart remark.

He just wished he could have done more to stop the invasion in the first place. Kolivan had warned him that there was a chance that Sendak might still be alive, but he hadn't thought to check. Sure, he had other things on his plate- the princess had kept them pretty busy with training, but he still could have spared some time to do some scouting.

If he'd just done that, then Lance wouldn't have gotten so badly hurt, and Allura wouldn't have had to watch her father die for a second time.

But they _also_ wouldn't have found and freed the Balmera, and Hunk wouldn't have gained the confidence that he so desperately needed. It was a trade off, he realized, and he couldn't decide which was worth more than the other.

It wasn't a question he was able to dwell on long- the blaring of alarms cut such thoughts short. Jerking his head up, Keith felt a sense of dread gnaw at him, as Ulaz brought up the source of the alarms onscreen.

He recognized that coffin- it was the same kind that had crashed onto the Balmera.

"You were tracked!"

The words sent a bolt of fear to him, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Tracked? _How_? Suddenly recalling Allura's words, he felt his stomach twist in a knot, and he knew that the feeling of dread that washed over him had nothing to do with the robeast. He couldn't even feel it from inside of the space pocket.

Was it _him_?

Had Zarkon's witch done something after all?

Desperately trying to push such thoughts out of his mind, Keith felt himself tense. He couldn't afford to think about that now. They had barely beaten the last one- he needed to put his all into focusing on beating _this_ one. He could almost catch Shiro's flicker of worry, and as much as he wanted to try and reassure him that he was fine, he didn't quite have it in him, not right now.

He felt Ulaz's, too.

Right. He must have read the reports. Knew that these things gnawed at his weakness- which was all his ability was, a _weakness_. He might have been drawn to the blue lion, but he hadn't even been able to find where it was without Hunk and Pidge's help.

And now it might be letting Zarkon's witch track them.

No. He would worry about all of that later. Just because they had found them once, didn't mean it would happen again. After what happened with the shield, Zarkon doubtlessly now knew that there were traitors in his ranks, and was likely actively searching for them. Maybe he was just overthinking this.

"We have to get back to the Castle." Shiro said.

Giving Shiro a curt nod, he made ready to follow them out. Ulaz stopped him, not with words, but by a gentle touch to his back, one that caused him to turn around, looking up at him. The others didn't notice that he wasn't behind them, not yet, at least.

He held out his blade, shrunken down into it's unawakened form.

He knew, without him needing to say anything, what that meant. He could almost see the gears in his head turning. At first, he wanted to turn it down- they could beat this thing. Sure, it had been the Balmera who had saved them in the end from the last one, but that was then, and this was now. He didn't need to-

Keith took the blade.

It was just a precaution, he told himself. Wrapping his hand around the hilt, he held it tight, locking eyes with Ulaz.

"You'd better come back for this."

Ulaz promised him nothing.

"Fight well, Kyix."

* * *

"Where's Keith?"

It was only when they reached the red lion, that Shiro noticed that Keith wasn't with them. He didn't have long to contemplate the question, before Keith caught up to them, flashing them an apologetic look. There was something strained to it, Shiro thought, but no sooner than had he noticed that, was it gone again.

"Sorry," he told them, before holding out a data chip to Pidge, "-you ran off before Ulaz could give you this."

Taking it from him, Pidge turned it over in her hands. She didn't even have to ask to know what it was- the prisoner records that Ulaz had promised her. Clutching it tight, she gave him a firm nod of her head, one that Keith returned.

"Okay," taking his seat, Keith gripped the red lion's controls, "-let's get out of here."

"Open a line to the Castle." Shiro instructed him.

He got the strange feeling that the data chip hadn't been the _only_ thing that had held Keith up, but now wasn't the time to ask. He didn't know if he'd get a straight answer out of him anyways, but the odds of it were better if he asked it in private.

Maybe the others didn't notice, but Keith's behavior had been strange, ever since the Blade of Marmora had been brought up. He was glad that someone was on his side here, but for it to be _Keith_? The only thing that did was raise questions. Trust was something to be earned with Keith- it wasn't something that he just gave out, willing to let just anyone in.

And yet, he _trusted_ the Blade of Marmora. He believed this wasn't a trap.

Keith, the same Keith who had mapped out multiple escape routes from the Galaxy Garrison. The same Keith who slept in the red lion, because it was the most secure place in the ship- and when he _didn't_ have a secure place to sleep, would sleep with a knife tucked underneath his pillow.

The interest he had taken in Krolia... he didn't know why that was still on his mind, but it was. Maybe it was just because the two faintly resembled each other, but for whatever reason, he couldn't shake it.

Come to think of it, Keith hadn't been the only one to express interest. At the time, he didn't think there was anything too strange about Krolia's questions, but now that he thought about it again, he couldn't shake that faint look of disappointment she'd worn when he'd changed the subject, away from Keith.

 _Something_ was going on here.

Whatever it was, it didn't keep Keith from complying. Allura was _furious_ , that much was clear from the moment her face came onscreen, betrayal clear in her features.

"I _knew_ he could not be trusted." She seethed, and out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn that Keith grew stiff.

"It wasn't him." Shiro told her.

It couldn't have been. Whatever was going on here, however Zarkon had found them, he doubted it had anything to do with Ulaz. He believed in him- had faith that he was everything that he said he was. Maybe he was just being idealistic, but he considered himself to be a pretty decent judge of character.

He noticed, too, how his words took some of the tension out of Keith's shoulders- just as Allura's retort of _how can you be sure_ put it right back.

...wait.

Keith couldn't be...?

No, he didn't have time to think about that right now. They still had the robeast to deal with- though part of him hoped that they wouldn't have to fight it. They had barely been able to defeat the last one, so it was clear that however these things were made, they were made of way tougher stuff than the average Galra warship.

He got the feeling they wouldn't get that lucky.

Gaze turning downwards to Keith, he could only hope that he'd be able to hold out. He knew now what these things did to him, and even if it wouldn't be anywhere _near_ as bad as it had been on the Balmera, he'd rather avoid sending him out into battle. It was often that was a choice on the table, him being a paladin now, but if it was one that he could choose, he would.

Whoever- and _whatever_ , some part of him supplied- Keith was, wherever he had come from, one thing Shiro knew for sure. They may have left the Garrison, but his mentorship was far from over.

* * *

Waiting in the red lion to launch felt like an eternity.

He tried not to dwell on Ulaz's blade, feeling like a heavy weight where he'd concealed it in his armor. Tried to convince himself that he'd only given it to him just in case, and that so long as he fought hard enough, that _just in case_ wouldn't come.

Luxite was rare, and the supply of blades that they possessed wasn't infinite. His own had been passed down to him from his grandmother, who had gotten it from her mentor, who had held onto it after one of their pupils died. The passing of a blade to another Blade meant one of two things- either it was being handed down to become theirs, or it was because they felt they would not be much longer for this world.

He had been given a blade once before, by Asnik, on the promise that he would pass it on to his brother, to be held in his keeping until there came time for a new Blade. Antok had accepted it without a word, but he knew he would guard it with his life, more so than that of his own.

Just in case, Keith told himself. Ulaz had only given him his Blade just in case. He would give it back to him, once this fight was over.

He tried not to think on it.

Instead, he thought about the robeast. Bringing it up on the red lion's screens, he frowned- there was something almost strangely familiar about it.

Commander Prorok, he realized.

It reminded him of Commander Prorok.

Ulaz had told him that he was being held on charges of treason against the Galra Empire. He expected him to be questioned, then killed once it was proved he knew nothing. There was no forgiveness within Zarkon's ranks- once convicted of a crime against the empire, there was no overturning that sentence.

Even if you were innocent.

This robeast, that looked like him... with a shudder, he recalled how Shiro had been convinced that the beast they fought on Arus had resembled the gladiator that he had defeated, Myzax.

Were the druids creating these beasts from living creatures?

With a shudder, he realized that had to be it. That was why they felt so foul to him- not because of the druid's magic, though that helped, but because of what they were, how they were made. Gripping the red lion's controls tighter, he heard her faint purr, using it as a means to ground himself.

He would have to tell Kolivan.

If this was true, then it was monstrous. If the druids were doing things like this, who knew what else they were up to?

He never liked Prorok. He was pretty sure even if he wasn't with the empire, he _still_ wouldn't like him. But right now, the only thing he could think of was putting him out of his misery. He didn't deserve _this_ \- _nobody_ deserved this.

Defeat the robeast, he thought, drawing in a long breath. Defeat the robeast, put an end to Prorok- or what remained of him- and keep Ulaz's gesture from having any meaning.

* * *

"Voltron is too valuable."

 _No_.

"The universe needs you."

 _No._

* * *

The first thing they had ever felt from Keith's end of the bond was nausea.

The second was something that none of them could describe, even if they tried- just that they _never_ wanted to feel anything like it, ever again.

The third was pain.

It shot through the bond, clear as day, the moment Ulaz returned. The moment it became clear what he was going to do. The moment he saved them.

Pain. _Keith's_ pain.

They were shut out of the bond so quickly and so violently, that the force of it nearly threatened to break Voltron apart. It held together, somehow, but it was closer to it than it had ever come on it's own.

Shiro thought he felt an undercurrent to it, one that he suspected none of the other paladins picked up on. It was more than just pain that he was feeling- it was also _loss_.

Soul deep, aching, and _raw_.

He _knew_ him.

Keith _knew_ Ulaz.

It was the last piece of the puzzle that fit itself in place, forming a picture that part of him nearly wanted to deny. He trusted Ulaz, he had faith in the Blade of Marmora- they had saved him twice- no, three times now, and he saw no reason to think that anything they said was a lie. And yet...

 _"The Blade of Marmora is with you."_

And so it had been, before he'd even left Earth. Before he'd even known the dangers that lurked in space. _That_ was how Keith knew to come rescue him from the Garrison. Not from any carvings- but because he had been _told_.

Keith, who had been in the desert, following the pull of the blue lion. Ulaz, who had told him that the blue lion was somewhere on Earth.

Keith, who came from a war zone, who carried himself like a soldier, who knew too much and too little, both at the same time. Who never quite fit in, who never quite made the effort to, who trusted no one until they had proven themselves worthy of that trust.

Who slept with a knife under his pillow. Who carried it with him wherever he went. Who kept it's hilt wrapped, out of sight, _hidden_.

Keith who looked to the stars, and saw not mystery, but _home_.

 _Keith_ was the unknown. Keith was Blade of Marmora.

Keith was... _was_ he Galra? That was the one thing he wasn't so clear on, not yet. He looked human- not to mention, he had passed all of the tests that the Galaxy Garrison put him through, _including_ the medical tests. If there had been something weird about his results, surely they would have noticed, right?

But if he was, would it change things?

No, Shiro thought. No, it wouldn't change anything. Not for him, at least. He couldn't speak for the others, wouldn't even try- but for him, even if Keith walked out of the red lion one day with purple skin and golden eyes, nothing would change.

 _Keith Kogane_ might be a lie, an alias, but he knew one thing for sure- that the one who used that name was not such a great actor that he could have him completely fooled. _Keith Kogane_ might be a lie, but the person who used that name was not.

Even if he _was_ Galra.

Keith's presence on Earth before the Kerberos mission felt like it should be damning, and maybe it would be to anyone else. But no- the Kerberos mission being captured had _nothing_ to do with Keith. He and the Holts had just been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and that was all.

The Galra had done terrible things to him, yes- but humans were also capable of terrible things and vile acts, and had done so, throughout history. If he allowed himself to lose sight of that, to put this war in black and white, then he risked not seeing the whole picture. And the whole picture, as today's events had proved, was much more gray.

Ulaz was Galra. Krolia was Galra. They both had saved him. Ulaz had saved _all_ of them.

 _Keith_ had saved him too.

Whatever Keith had been doing on Earth, he had been there for the right reasons- he knew that, even without having to ask. Would he like to know the story? Yeah, kind of. There had been a (possible) alien living at the Galaxy Garrison for over a year, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't find that at least a little funny.

Did he _need_ to know the story to know that Keith was still a good person, still an ally that he could trust? No.

He was the red paladin. The red lion had chosen him.

He should speak with him, he knew. Let him know that he was on his side, that he supported him, no matter who he was, no matter _what_ he was. Just... not now. Not when his pain was so raw, so _fresh_. He didn't know what their connection was, just that they must have been close to elicit that kind of response from Keith.

No, right now, he would let Keith mourn in peace.

Because that's what he was doing now- mourning.

And that, more than anything, told him everything he really needed to know about Keith.

* * *

Ulaz's blade felt heavy in his hands.

He hadn't dared to take it back to his quarters with him, instead stashing it in the red lion. She had promised him that she would keep it safe, and he trusted her. Ulaz had entrusted him with his blade, so it was his job to bring it back to the Blade of Marmora in one piece. To return it home.

He couldn't do that yet, so for now, he would keep it hidden. Safe.

He wasn't sure how he got through the rest of the day after that. It all happened in kind of a blur. He remembers the paladins being concerned about him when he left the red lion, and sort of recalls brushing them off, but not much of what happened after that. He'd been in a daze, he realized- nothing felt real, as if he had detached himself from everything.

Allura had moved them out of the Thaldycon system. They would not be meeting up with the Blade of Marmora- at least, not yet. Shiro wanted to find out how they were being tracked- _if_ they were being tracked- before they even made an attempt to do so.

Staring down at Ulaz's blade in his hands, Keith traced the glowing symbol on it's hilt. Ulaz was gone, and it still didn't feel real to him.

He had died saving them, a hero. Giving his life for the sake of the universe, in hopes of a better future. Hopes that Voltron carried- that _he_ carried.

He just wanted Ulaz not to be dead.

He knew, he understood, that this was war, and that in war, there was no avoiding casualties. That didn't mean he didn't mourn those who were lost, didn't mean that losing them couldn't hurt him. He took each one hard, but this one was harder than the rest.

He almost wished it didn't, but no- nothing good came from going down that path. That way lead to becoming like _Zarkon_ , viewing those around him as little more than pawns, objects that were at his command. To him, a life meant nothing- nor two, nor three, nor even twenty or a hundred.

All that mattered was power.

Clutching Ulaz's blade tight to his chest, Keith closed his eyes. Ulaz had taught him how to fight, using his small size as an advantage, rather than a weakness. His mother had helped to hone his skills, and his talent with the blade was owed to her, but it had been Ulaz, who had always been fast and light on his feet, that had helped him to unlock his full potential, realizing that he couldn't fight as the rest of them did.

Ulaz, who before that, would come to the medical ward, teaching him about their culture, their history- the parts of it that Zarkon did not want heard. Patient, calm, and understanding- who did not rush him, but taught him that moving at his own pace and finding his own feet on his own time was what was most important.

He could have ruined himself, on that fragile border between healthy and ill, rushed forward too fast in an attempt to seize the former. Ulaz kept him from doing that.

He owed so much to him, and now he was gone.

He was gone, and all he had left of him was his blade.

That was the war they fought. More often than not, there was not even a blade to bring home. That he had one was a small mercy.

Kolivan, some part of him thought. He needed to contact Kolivan. Drawing in a long breath, he slowly uncurled himself, resting Ulaz's blade in his lap. He didn't want to put it away, not yet. Taking out his transmitter, he froze, recalling that the last time he'd used this, he had been contacting Ulaz.

Swallowing that back down, Keith switched it on.

Kolivan contacted him.

When he saw his face, Keith knew. He _knew_ what Ulaz had done, knew that another Blade had been lost. Ulaz had been with the Blade since before his grandmother's time, and his loss would be felt.

"He's gone, Kolivan."

The words came out as a whisper, sounding so _weak_ to his ears. Kolivan, who did not take the loss of a single Blade with ease, but as his own personal failure, did not admonish him for it. He understood.

"I know." Kolivan's tone was, for once, soft. Not vulnerable, _never_ that- simply soft.

"He's gone because we weren't strong enough." Keith told him. "Because _Voltron_ wasn't strong enough."

Because _he_ wasn't strong enough.

"You are still young." Kolivan told him. "You will grow, become stronger. In time."

He _was_ young, so much younger than the rest of them, and he felt that now, not even finding it in him to protest. Small, weak, yearning for someone who had been so important to him, blaming himself for not being strong enough to keep him alive.

The Blade of Marmora had lost an entire generation of children when his father betrayed them. They'd had no choice, and it was knowledge that haunted Kolivan with every day that passed. There were more children now, but he was the only one from his generation to have survived.

But not out of mercy. Not even out of pity.

He'd been _rejected_.

 _"I'm... sorry your father tried to kill you?"_

He didn't even know _why_ he was thinking that now. Maybe it was just because he had been back there, maybe it was because thought of death were fresh in his mind. His thoughts were all over the place. He needed to focus, to get a hold of himself, to give Kolivan a proper mission report- but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Voltron was supposed to change things.

But Ulaz was still dead.

They couldn't defeat the robeast, and because of that, Ulaz was dead. Their victory at the Balmera meant _nothing_ if they couldn't change how things had gone for thousands of years.

Drawing in a long breath, Keith steeled himself. Ulaz would not have wanted him to draw into himself this way, nor fall apart- he would have wanted him to move forward, to ensure that his sacrifice meant something. He was a paladin of Voltron now, and maybe he hadn't had the power to save Ulaz, but Kolivan was right- he was still young, and he would get stronger.

 _They_ would get stronger.

"I have to tell you," Keith said, "-about the robeasts."


	7. enigma

What's this, chapter seven? Why yes, it is! In which Shiro realizes that Keith has been doing the most unimpressive impression of a human the whole time, the cadets reconfirm that Keith is nuts, and everyone gets to eat some disgusting food. You know, bonding!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter seven**

 **enigma**

* * *

"Uh, guys? I'm not so sure we should be here."

"Oh c'mon Hunk, what's he gonna do, have the red lion bite our heads off?"

"I just don't see why you two had to drag _me_ into this." Pidge piped up, looking between Lance and Hunk. She had been perfectly happy going through the prisoner data that Ulaz had given them, when Lance had all but stormed into the green lion's hangar and dragged her away.

Which was how she ended up on the other side of the ship, in the red lion's hangar. Which seemed to be where Keith was, if his lion standing at full attention, with its particle barrier up was any indication.

"Moral support, duh." Lance told her.

"Moral support for _who_?" Pidge asked, brows shooting up. "Keith?"

"Uh, yeah, why is that so hard to believe?" Lance asked, having the audacity to sound offended. "I'm allowed to care about mullet too sometimes, you know."

Heaving a long sigh, Pidge's gaze flickered over towards Hunk, who merely gave her a shrug of his shoulders. "Alright, so what are we supposed to be doing, exactly? I don't think the red lion's just going to let us in."

She didn't know what Keith's deal with the red lion was, just that they seemed to have a very close bond. She had asked Allura about that weapon Keith had used during their assault on Central Command, and had been told it was one of his lion's hidden powers, that he had managed to awaken.

Figures. What time he didn't spend on the training deck, he seemed to spend in his lion. Who knows, maybe Keith was just a huge cat person.

Lance had managed to awaken his lion's hidden power too, which she knew, because he _would not shut up about it_.

Ugh. At least Keith was _modest_.

Or more like he just didn't talk to them at all, most of the time. She hadn't known him very well back when they had first become paladins, and she _still_ didn't know him very well. She knew both Allura _and_ Coran better than she did her fellow arm of Voltron, and she'd be lying if she said that didn't bother her a little.

But maybe Keith was just like that.

"Maybe we could coax her?" Lance ventured. "Can't be healthy for mullet to stay cooped up in there all the time."

"Yeah, we kind of haven't seen him since we left the Thaldycon system." Hunk pointed out. "I mean... aren't you worried?"

Since Ulaz died, she sensed he really wanted to say. Keith tended to make himself scarce, but they usually still saw him for daily meals- which they hadn't, lately. Frowning, Pidge looked up towards the red lion, as if it would spill its paladin's secrets.

Doubtful.

It wasn't like she hadn't noticed what Keith had let slip out from his side of the bond. But she'd just thought it was from sensing the space time fold collapsing in on itself, with Ulaz inside. Granted, she knew very little about these psychic powers that Keith apparently had, but it didn't sound too far fetched as a theory.

And maybe she _was_ a little worried. Keith was still one of them, even if he was a walking enigma.

"Look, I'm sure he's fine." Pidge told them. "If he wasn't, I'm pretty sure _Shiro_ would be the one in here, not us. I say we give him his space."

"Aw, c'mon Pidge, aren't you the least bit-"

Lance didn't get to finish that sentence, which was probably for the best. She got a feeling he was going to end it with _curious_ as opposed to _worried_.

Two things happened at once- the red lion's particle barrier went down, and the lion itself knelt down, allowing her paladin to leave her cockpit. It was the first time they had seen Keith in almost two days, and she couldn't tell if those were bags under his eyes, or just shadows.

They hardened when he saw them. Shadows, then.

"Keith!" Spreading out his arms, Hunk looked relieved to see him. "Oh man, buddy, good to see you!"

Keith merely frowned, saying nothing. Hunk's arms hung loosely in the air, clearly hoping for a hug, before he awkwardly dropped them, shifting on his feet. The gaze that Keith had locked on him gradually shifted, and now she was the one who found those intense purple eyes fixed on her.

Which- fine. Maybe his eyes actually _were_ purple.

"When's the last time either of you trained?"

And that was not a question she had been expecting.

"Uh, I don't know- awhile?" Hunk ventured.

And that was the wrong answer.

Before either of them could say anything, Keith had grabbed Hunk by his collar, and had tucked her underneath his arm. Letting out a loud squeak, she thrashed, trying to get down, but he held her there with an iron grip, just tight enough so that she couldn't escape, but loose enough so that he didn't actually hurt her.

"Whoa, Keith, buddy, what the heck?" Lance sputtered. Her sentiments exactly!

"Training. Now." Keith's reply was curt, yet somehow brokered no arguments. "You too, Lance."

"Wha- Keith, c'mon, I have legs, you know!" Pidge finally got out, giving up on trying to worm free. Biting him was an option, but somehow she didn't think that would go over too well.

"If I put you down, you'd just run away." Keith remarked, dragging Hunk behind him like he weighed nothing.

He was right, but also- holy shit, how strong was this guy?

Lance looked like was torn between rescuing Hunk, and vaguely fearing for his life. Either way, it was enough to ensure that the only one of them that remained free didn't try to escape, and he ended up following them all the way to the training deck, where Keith promptly released the both of them.

"Uh, just for the record, none of us have our armor." Lance pointed out, watching Keith with caution, just in case he tried to pick _him_ up. "We're not crazy enough to go up against the training bots without it."

"Unlike _some_ people." Pidge muttered underneath her breath, which earned a sharp glower from Keith. What, had he _heard_ that?

"You're not going to be fighting the training bots." Keith told them. "You're going to be fighting _me_."

Silence.

"...I'm not sure if that makes it better." Hunk ventured, daring to break it. "You're like on level fourteen, dude, I'm pretty sure you could kick all our butts."

"I won't attack." Keith told them. "Just defend. Try and hit me."

"Oh, so now you're just underestimating us, huh?" Lance asked, clearly more than a little ticked off. "So this is the thanks we get for being worried about you."

Keith merely frowned at that. "I'm not underestimating you."

 _Ouch_. She knew he probably hadn't meant that as an insult, but it stung nonetheless. Lance sure as heck seemed to take it as one, flaring up at him.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, glowering. "I'll make you eat those words, Kogane."

"Looking forward to it." Keith said.

In the back of her mind, she got the feeling that there was no way this would end well for them. Lance had probably already forgotten, but Keith was the only one who had gotten a hit in on Ulaz. Shiro _technically_ had, but he'd pulled his blow just before actually hitting him, so it both counted and didn't.

She had been just dragged around, and then thrown like a ragdoll- _at_ Keith, nonetheless. Not her best performance.

Was _that_ what this was about? She didn't see how unarmed combat would help them in the long run, but there had to be some kind of method behind Keith's madness. Maybe if they humored him, they could just get this over with quickly, and she could get back to looking through those prisoner files.

Taking off his jacket, Keith tied it around his waist. "There's mats in the storage closet. Hunk, give me a hand."

Sensing it was better to not protest, Hunk quickly obliged. Pidge frowned as they were dragged out- she didn't even know they had something like that on the training deck, which just showed how little time she spent in it, and how much time Keith _did_.

...maybe that was what this was about.

Maybe Keith thought they were all slacking off.

Which would not be an entirely unfair assumption. She barely used the training deck- she spent most of her free time cooped up in the green lion's hangar, where she had set up her lab, or in the archives, sorting through data that they had taken from Galra ships, hoping to find any trace of her family.

She wondered, briefly, what Keith's family was like. They had given birth to a _literal psychic_ , so she couldn't help but be a little curious.

Satisfied with the setup of the mats, Keith nodded his head. Off came his boots, tossed haphazardly to one side of the mats. Shifting on his feet, he watched the three of them, his stance loose.

She was no martial arts expert, but she could sense a trap when she saw one. And that was _definitely_ a trap.

"How do we know you're not going to fight back?" Lance asked, sounding suspicious.

"Guess you'll just have to take my word for it." Keith told him- before flashing him a faint grin, a challenge written clear in his eyes. "What are you- scared?"

Keith was playing Lance like a fiddle. She realized it. Hunk realized it.

Lance, tragically, did not.

She didn't consider herself a person of faith, not by a long shot, but in that instant, she found herself uttering a silent prayer for him. He was going to need it.

(They probably all would. Godspeed.)

* * *

For a brief moment, all Shiro could do was wonder what he'd walked in on.

It was mid-afternoon when he realized that he hadn't seen any of the other paladins for a few hours. Naturally, that caught his attention- even on a ship of this size, he usually didn't go that long without seeing any of them. _Keith_ , maybe, but the others? He'd usually have seen at least Hunk or Lance by now, but there hadn't been hide nor hair of them.

So he did what anyone else in his situation would do- look for them. He checked the lounge first, in case they were there. Then their rooms, only to find them all empty- in a sense, as Pidge's room was even more cluttered than the last time he had been in there, and that had only been a week ago.

After that, he checked the kitchen, hoping to find Hunk, but turned up nothing. Checking the green lion's hangar turned up the same result- no Pidge, so in a last ditch attempt to find out where they had all gone, he decided to check the training deck.

 _Maybe_ he should have started looking for them a little earlier.

He did not know how they had all ended up in this situation, but he could tell one thing- they were all _exhausted_. All except for Keith, that was, who merely glanced up at him when he entered the room- and it was in that instant that he realized that he'd been the one responsible for dragging the other three here.

The fact that the other three were all collapsed in a circle around him was another big clue. Keith was crouched in the center, his weight on his toes, arms resting on his knees. Water pouches had been awkwardly placed next to each fallen paladin, but none of them had made a move for them, which told a story of its own.

It was the first time he'd actually _seen_ him since the fight with the robeast. He had brushed them all off after the battle, and then had disappeared somewhere within the castle-ship. So to just stumble on him out in the open like this took him a bit by surprise.

His recent revelations definitely didn't help matters.

(Violet eyes, just like Krolia's.)

"Oh thank god, it's Shiro." It took him a second to register that it was Lance who spoke. "You have to save us. I think Keith's mullet has finally eaten his brain."

"Hair can't eat brains, Lance." Keith frowned.

"Keith, buddy," Hunk spoke up, "-we _really_ need to talk to you about figures of speech."

"Keith," Shiro began, deciding to put everything else aside, and just focus on the issue at hand for the time being, "-you wanna tell me what the four of you have been doing for the past three hours?"

"Wha- it's been _three hours_?" Pidge blurted out. "Ugh, no wonder everything hurts."

"I said they could go once they landed a hit on me." Keith told him. "They haven't hit me yet."

Yep, he could sort of see the problem here. Putting aside the question as to whether Keith was one or not, he'd presumably been taught to fight _by_ the Galra, which put him on an entirely different level than a bunch of cadets whose only experience with hand to hand combat involved a handful of self defense courses back at the Garrison.

He suspected that this was also a reaction on Keith's part to Ulaz's death- and he could sort of see the logic behind it. If Voltron had been stronger, then Ulaz wouldn't have needed to make that sacrifice. He'd just taken it very literally which- yeah, that seemed like a pretty Keith thing to do.

But he could also tell that the paladins were exhausted, and that Keith sort of maybe didn't understand that as well as he could. He could tell, because each of the paladins had at least three water pouches placed by them- or _five_ , in Pidge's case, as if some part of Keith had supplied that she was small and thus needed more- as if throwing water at the problem was all he would need to solve it.

Arguing the point with Keith probably wouldn't get him anywhere, so maybe he should try tackling this from a different angle.

"Okay, how about this," Shiro began, "-if I get a hit in, you let everyone else go."

Which kind of made it sound like Keith had been keeping them prisoner, which technically...

...yeah. He wasn't sure that _Keith_ realized that, though.

Keith frowned at that, brows drawing together. "This is their training."

"I'm a paladin too, Keith." Shiro reasoned. "You're going to leave me out?"

Frown deepening, Keith considered it for a moment- before he pushed himself to his feet, giving him a curt nod of his head. "Okay. But they have to train more."

He was right about that, at least. He knew that Pidge and Hunk had been slacking, so maybe it was time he increased the amount of team exercises they did. It would be good for Keith too, who didn't seem to have a firm grip on the whole _teamwork_ thing.

"I've been meaning to increase our training regime anyways." Shiro told him.

That earned him groans from the three cadets, but at least they seemed energized enough at the thought of escaping from whatever hell training Keith had been putting them through to get up off their butts, and move to the sidelines. He noted, with faint amusement, that Pidge hoarded all five of the water pouches, and the faint pleased look Keith got when he noticed that, as if mentally noting that he had done well.

How he managed to not realize that Keith was an alien _before_ this was beyond him. It seemed so obvious in hindsight. Sure, he hadn't known aliens were even _real_ until Kerberos, but after that?

He should have known.

Shaking his head, he grinned at Keith, who merely just stared at him, perplexed. Stepping onto the mat, Shiro watched as Keith's perplexed expression transformed into a determined one. His stance didn't change much, but he could tell that he'd raised his guard.

He had seen Keith fight before, at the Garrison. The first time he had sparred with someone, he had accidentally dislocated their shoulder. After that, he took a lot more care with how he fought, usually never even laying a single hand on his opponents, usually just waiting until they wore themselves out, and then pinning them to the mat.

In other words, he'd recognized he was stronger than them, and had reacted accordingly.

Keith wouldn't make the first move, Shiro recognized- so he tested the boundaries with a simple thrust, one that he easily dodged. He wasn't just strong, but he was fast, light on his feet, and agile to boot- he might have spent a year fighting for his life in the gladiator arena, but he had no doubt that Keith was probably stronger than him.

If Keith was this strong, he couldn't help but wonder how strong the Galra that trained him were. Ulaz had been something else- he'd only managed to nearly get a blow in on him because he'd taken him by surprise. If he'd been there to kill them, they all would have been in trouble.

Which was something to keep in mind.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he couldn't help but notice the rapt way the cadets were paying attention to their fight. Though to be fair, Shiro wasn't sure he could really call it a _fight_ \- a game of close quarters, high stakes tag, maybe, but not a fight.

But he had one advantage that the cadets didn't- he'd seen Keith fight before. He watched him train.

That meant he could predict his moves.

It was a feint that got him, in the end. Shiro pulled his punch just before it connected with Keith's stomach, but it was enough for Keith to let out a long breath, stepping back and holding his hands up in defeat.

"Looks like you win."

"Looks like I do." Shiro told him, giving him a smile. "So I take it everyone's free to go?"

Nodding his head, Keith frowned. "Yeah, sure. But they have to train more."

"We heard you the first time, Keith!" Lance yelled, apparently having gotten a bit of his spunk back. He didn't even flinch at Keith's glower, instead returning it with one of his own.

"You just leave team training to me, Keith." Shiro told him, resting a hand on Keith's shoulder. "I'm the leader, that's my job. That said, I think everyone's trained enough today."

"...fine."

That nearly seemed to be the end of it, Keith stalking away from the mats, scooping up his boots as he did so. He was just about to tell everyone to leave, when Keith came back into his line of vision, and proceeded to drop, of all possible things, _Galaxy Garrison ration bars_ into the laps of each of the cadets, before thrusting one at Shiro.

...guess he was right about Keith stashing rations. He just hadn't expected him to be stashing them on the _training deck_. Or that he would-

"What the heck, Keith, you brought these things with you to space!?" Lance blurted out, glaring down at the ration bar like it had personally offended him.

"That's the last of my stash." Keith told him. "If you don't want it, I'll take it back."

"You know what?" Hunk piped up. "As weird as this is going to sound, I've actually sort of been missing these. I- how many of these did you even bring with you, Keith?"

"Like I said, that's the last of my stash." Keith repeated. "If you don't want it-"

"Nope, I'll eat it." Hunk told him. "I'm hungry enough that I could probably eat cardboard right now."

"Which is what these things taste like." Pidge added.

"They taste fine to me." Keith muttered, unwrapping his own, taking a bite out of it without so much as blinking. He still remembered the first time he'd taken him down to the commissary, after realizing that he had been eating nothing but ration bars since enrolling at the Galaxy Garrison.

He _also_ remembered the time he'd tried to bite into a lemon, and the time he'd eaten a jalapeno whole, seeds and all. How had he never realized Keith was an alien again?

(Nothing beat the time he'd eaten an entire apple core, though. By the time he realized what Keith was doing, it was too late to stop him. He could only look on in horror.)

"Yeah, but I think we all know by now that your taste buds are broken, and therefore, cannot be trusted." Lance said, begrudgingly biting into his own, making a show of nearly gagging after he swallowed it. "How did you even live off these things in the desert?"

"I had beans and jerky too." Keith merely replied. "And soup."

"Keith!" Hunk shot his head up, alarmed. "Is that all? What about vegetables?"

Squinting, Keith narrowed his eyes. "...sometimes they were in the soup?"

"Geez, Keith, how are you even alive?" Lance asked.

Tilting his head, Keith frowned, brows knitting together. He was pretty sure he was getting more confused as this conversation went on. Good a sign as any that it was time to cut in.

"Any chance I can borrow you, Keith?" Shiro asked.

Looking up at him, Keith blinked, before slowly nodding his head. "Yeah, sure."

Giving him an honest smile, Shiro gave Keith's shoulder another pat. Two days wasn't a lot of time, but the longer he put it off, the higher the chance became that something would go wrong because of it. When it came to subjects like this, it was best to open up about them as soon as possible.

"Great. But let's talk someplace else."

* * *

Someplace else turned out to be the red lion.

It had been his choice. He wanted somewhere they could talk in private, someplace that would put Keith at ease. The first place he could think of was the red lion.

"What did you want to talk about, Shiro?" Keith asked.

The question was so casual, that it nearly fooled him. But there was no mistaking Keith's wary stare, the way his back was pressed up against the wall. It reminded him of when he'd first been introduced to him, that skittish cadet who didn't seem to trust anyone.

A lifetime of war would do that to a person.

"Can I see your knife?"

Instantly, Keith was suspicious. He tried not to show it, but it was there, in the way his brow furrowed, in the tension of his shoulders. Biting his lip, he looked as if he wanted to turn him down, before he finally reached behind him, unsheathing his blade.

For a split second, some more primal part of Shiro thought he was about to attack him, before he buried it down. No. Keith wouldn't do that. Sure enough, Keith flipped the knife around, so that he held onto the blade, holding out the hilt towards him.

Nodding his head, Shiro took the knife from him, careful not to cut him as he did so. He'd had it thrust up against his neck twice, but he'd never held it before- it was heavier than he thought it would be. He could see his reflection on its surface- he didn't know if that was testament to how much care Keith put into it, or if that was just a natural feature of the metal that had been used to make it.

It was a well crafted blade.

"Ulaz told me once," Shiro began, "-that the Blade of Marmora was with me."

He could have sworn Keith stopped breathing.

"I don't think he was speaking figuratively."

Keith was coiled tension now, every muscle at the ready to give him either fight or flight. He didn't miss the way he ducked his right hand from view, nor the way it was still bandaged, even two days after he had woken up from the healing pod.

"Can I take these off?" Shiro asked, indicating the bandages around the hilt.

Keith said nothing, merely holding his gaze for the longest time- before slowly nodding his head. He knew he'd been caught, that he couldn't worm his way out of this.

Nodding his head, Shiro carefully unwrapped the bandages from around the hilt of Keith's knife. He'd admit, he'd been expecting it, but he still sucked in his breath a little at the sight of the glowing sigil etched into the hilt, the final piece of proof that his theory was true.

Keith was Blade of Marmora.

Keith was the unknown.

"...guess I should thank you for Haxus." Shiro noted.

Keith's gaze never left him, but it did drop. He seemed to have remembered how to breathe, luckily, his shoulders rising and falling as he did so, still tense as anything.

"...if you want me gone, I'll go."

Blinking at that, Shiro started. "Keith, no, I don't want you to leave."

Looking up at him, surprise filled those violet eyes of his. "But I'm-"

"Still the red paladin." Shiro finished.

"I've been lying to you." Keith insisted, searching his face for any trace of a lie. "About everything."

Taking a step forward, Keith jolted in response, but didn't back down. Whatever he had been expecting him to do, it wasn't to hand him back his knife- hilt wrapped again and all. He was slow in taking it, but once he did, he wasted no time in sheathing it again.

"Now's as good a time as any, if you want to stop." Shiro told him. "But I won't make you tell me anything."

Now that _truly_ puzzled Keith. He had to wonder if it was just his quirk, or if spending two years on Earth had done it to him, but he was more expressive than any other Galra he'd met. Maybe it was just the human features.

And he was Galra. That was what he was going to finish that sentence with.

Which raised the question of why he looked so human. Maybe he was only part Galra? Maybe he could shapeshift. There was always the chance that Keith _was_ human, but had been raised Galra, for one reason or another, and thus thought of himself as one. He'd question how a human had gotten so far out into space, but well... yeah.

Either way, he was clearly on the right side of this conflict.

Finally, after what seemed to be the longest time, Keith's shoulders slumped. "I've been spying on you. For the Blade of Marmora."

Okay, that he _hadn't_ been expecting. In hindsight, it made sense. Not only did Voltron have the power to challenge Zarkon, it was also something he desperately wanted. It made sense that the Blade of Marmora would want to keep track of it.

"It's not the worst thing you could be doing." Shiro told him frankly.

Confusing Keith seemed to be the name of the game today. He almost felt a little bad about it, watching his thoughts spin around a mile a minute in his head. He was going to take a wild guess that he probably hadn't been trained for deep cover missions of this nature.

If anything, he'd been on Earth because the blue lion was there. He wasn't sure how he'd ended up at the Galaxy Garrison- maybe it had just been a way to keep a roof over his head, maybe he'd thought they'd known something. Taking off with it and becoming a paladin of Voltron probably hadn't been on his plans.

In short- it wasn't like Keith had _planned_ to spy on them. He didn't know if it would make the difference to anyone else, but it did to him.

And again- spying on them for the Blade of Marmora? Not the worst thing he could do.

"I'm _Galra_."

"I'm going to be honest, that explains a ton about you." Shiro told him.

Whatever he had been expecting to say in reaction to that, it probably wasn't that. He watched as confusion turned to frustration. "So, what- you're fine with this? With me?"

"Pretty much." Shiro told him, nodding. "I can understand why you would be worried, but I promise you, Keith- I'm not angry, or disgusted, or afraid. If anything, I'm worried about you."

"Worried." Keith repeated, in disbelief. "About me."

"You knew Ulaz, didn't you?" Shiro asked.

Keith held his gaze for a long moment, before closing his eyes, letting out a long breath. "Yeah."

He didn't expect him to say anything more- and he'd be fine with that. Like he said, he wasn't going to press Keith for answers, even if he _did_ have a million questions. He trusted Keith- even with the admission that he had been spying on them.

He hadn't even asked for that information, and he'd admitted it anyways.

"I'm sorry." Shiro told him. "I know losing him couldn't have been easy."

Keith ducked his head, for once, not looking at him. "...thanks."

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm here to support you, Keith." Shiro told him. "You will always have a place on this team."

Letting out a snort, Keith chanced a look back up to him. "I don't think that's your call."

The princess. He was talking about the princess.

"The red lion chose you." Shiro told him. "The princess saw that herself. If she has a problem with it," and she probably would, he wasn't blind to that, "-then she'll just have to deal with it."

"Yeah, by shooting me out an airlock."

Keith cringed the moment he said it, and it took him a second to place why- at which point, he nearly felt his heart stop.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

No wonder Keith had been so worried. He'd done the same to Sendak.

"Keith, I promise you, that's not going to happen." Shiro told him. "The team might need some time to adjust, but they'll be fine with this. With you."

Narrowing his eyes, Keith frowned. "You're not going to tell them, are you?"

"No, I'm going to leave that up to you." Shiro told him. "But I think you should."

"Not my call." Keith said simply, his tone curt.

Ah. Right. It wouldn't be. If Keith was spying on them, then he had to be in contact with someone- likely someone higher up in the Blade of Marmora, someone whose orders that he couldn't- or maybe wouldn't- refuse. He had an independent, reckless streak, but it wasn't as if he ignored every order that he was given.

Maybe at the Garrison, sure, but that had probably been a joke to him. It was no wonder he didn't take it seriously.

"Also," Keith added, almost as an afterthought, "-my name's not Keith."

That he knew. Had known.

"Yeah?" Shiro asked. "Feel like telling me what it is? I won't call you by it if you don't want me to, though."

There was another period of silence, before Keith finally held his gaze. His smile was both faint and forced, but it was there- which he took as an encouraging sign.

"Kyix."

"Well then," Shiro said, sticking out his human hand, "-nice to meet you, Kyix."

Keith- _Kyix_ \- simply stared at his hand, lifting his brows. "Shiro, you've already met me."

...yep. That was Keith.


	8. green

Hey all, back with chapter eight! And here we are, hitting that canon material again! Never forget how much poor Keith wanted a tree mech in _Greening the Cube_ , and then he couldn't get one... rip Keith. Maybe somewhere, in an alternate universe, just not this one. Also I guess school starts soon for a lot of you? Or maybe has started? Either way, to all my readers still in school- do well! Take breaks! Do your homework! Get plenty of sleep! Eat properly!

Until next time!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter eight**

 **green**

* * *

Having Shiro know who he was was like a weight off his chest.

It's not how Keith expected it to feel. He thought it would be more like having Coran know- like an anxiety, gnawing at him. But no, having Shiro know was like a constant reassurance, a knowledge that he has someone to fall back on now.

It made him feel childish.

He'd been so dependent on everyone when he'd been young, that when he had finally been cleared to leave the medical ward, he'd done everything in his power to be independent. In hindsight, he might have rushed things a bit, against Ulaz's advice- but he was in such a hurry to start his training, already delayed by months, if not _years_ , to become a proper Blade.

It was the only thing he could think of doing to pay them back.

Logically, he knew he didn't need to- he wasn't a burden on them, they had made that much clear. But he was all they had, and without getting some new recruits from the outside, they would have to be more cautious than ever, so as to not risk losing any more Blades.

(He tried not to think about Ulaz.)

At the time, he hadn't even known his father was the one responsible. All he'd known was that something had happened, something bad- and that was the reason there were no other children.

He knew that he was being kept in the dark, but truthfully, he'd been afraid to ask.

He'd learned the truth the hard way.

(Knowledge or death.)

True to his word, Shiro didn't ask him any questions. Nothing personal, at least- he did ask about things like troop locations and supply lines, and Keith would answer as best he could. Most of what he knew was two years out of date.

He... hadn't told Kolivan yet.

He should, he knew- having his cover blown, and to _the leader of Voltron_ at that, was a pretty big deal. It meant that there were now two people on the ship who were aware of his true identity- and furthermore, one of them now knew that he was feeding information on their activities back to an outside group.

But what if Kolivan thought that was one mistake too many? What if he ordered him to return?

Which was a stupid thing to worry about. It wasn't like he could just send out another operative to replace him as the red paladin. This wasn't a traditional deep cover operation, not by a long shot. If it was, Kolivan would have never chosen him.

He hadn't been trained for deep cover missions. His status as a runt made him stick out like a sore thumb among Galra, and while there _were_ Galra whose growth had been stunted later in life, some of whom were even shorter than he was, they were typically kept to the fringes of the Empire, treated like some kind of shame.

Anything that seemed weak was.

His mission on Earth technically qualified as a deep cover mission, which had necessitated a briefing, but he still hadn't gotten any formal training. What he'd be infiltrating wasn't the Galra Empire, but a primitive race that resided on a backwater planet, far from any imperial strongholds. It didn't exactly require the same skill set.

He'd thought as long as he looked like one, and as long as he didn't attract too much attention to himself, he'd be able to pass for human. He hadn't been wrong- even after he'd been held as a captive of the Galra Empire for a year, Shiro still didn't put the pieces together until _after_ they had met Ulaz.

None of the other paladins suspected a thing.

Okay, so Hunk and Lance correctly thought that he was familiar with war, but they thought it was some kind of _Earth_ conflict. As long as he was careful, he had nothing to worry about there. As far as he knew, Pidge didn't suspect a thing, though maybe that was because her own problems to worry about.

If there _was_ one thing that had changed after Shiro learned who he was, it was the number of team bonding exercises, but he didn't know if that was actually related or not. He thought it was a good thing, roping Hunk and Pidge who would otherwise slack off into doing some actual training.

Even if some of the training exercises Shiro had them do made no sense.

Like this one.

Letting out a hiss as the metal ball gave off a faint electric shock, signaling that he'd held on to it for too long, Keith grumbled underneath his breath, searching for Pidge. She was wide open, Hunk and Lance's full attention focused on trying to catch him, so lobbing the ball over in her direction was simple.

He got the basic point of the game- he and Pidge were supposed to keep the ball away from Hunk and Lance, while they tried to get it from them, all within a certain time limit. He even understood how they had been split up- arms versus legs, to strengthen the bonds between the two pairs.

What he _didn't_ get was why he couldn't just hold on to the ball the entire time. Surely that would have been the easiest way to win? Hunk and Lance couldn't even come close to touching him, so as long as he held onto it, they would win for sure.

But no- Shiro had designed the game so that the ball would give him a light shock- and _only_ him- if he held onto it for too long, forcing him to pass it to Pidge. It was beyond frustrating.

Sure, they hadn't caught Pidge yet, but they had come close to it a few times- way closer than he'd ever let either of them come to him. It was just more efficient to let him do the entire task, rather than split the duty up with Pidge, who wasn't as suited to it.

Wasn't part of being a team delegating tasks to the person best at it?

Or was he getting something wrong?

Teamwork was complicated.

(Humans were even more complicated.)

Even worse, Pidge fumbled the ball at the very end, allowing Lance to grab it. If she had just held onto it for a minute longer, then they would have won.

She didn't even look that _sorry_.

If anything, she had the audacity to look annoyed with _him_. What was her problem? He wasn't the one who had screwed everything up, so what the heck was she giving him the stink shoulder for?

(That... didn't sound right. Cold eye? Humans had so many turns of phrase that it was hard to keep track of them all.)

Letting out a low growl, Keith felt Shiro's hand rest on his shoulder. He tensed up at it, before relaxing, realizing who it was- before remembering that he was currently annoyed with him, for thinking up this absurd, contradictory exercise.

"I don't get it," Keith grumbled, "-we could have won if I'd kept it."

"Then that wouldn't be teamwork."

Shiro had said it so simply, so matter of fact, that it felt like it should _mean_ something to him, but it didn't. Giving his shoulder another pat, Shiro left his side to go and chat with the paladins, leaving him alone.

If Antok were here, he'd doubtlessly say that he was sulking.

(He wasn't.)

He'd thought he'd been getting a hang of this _teamwork_ thing, but Shiro seemed to think otherwise. It wasn't like they _never_ worked with teams during Blade missions, but that was... different from how things worked with the paladins. Teamwork here meant not leaving your comrades behind, even at your own peril.

He was starting to learn that, but actually putting it into practice was proving more difficult than he could have thought. Protecting himself above others had been so ingrained into him, that trying to teach himself to do otherwise was nothing short of a challenge.

It didn't help that he'd never had anyone in his own age group to pair up with during training. That was _supposed_ to be normal, but instead, he'd been trained alone. Losing a generation of children had thrown things off significantly for them, and they were still trying to recover.

When he'd arrived on Earth, the number of family units with multiple children had shocked him. He knew that Pidge was the youngest out of a pair, and that Lance had a bunch of siblings, but there was nothing like that among the Galra. Most female Galra were capable of giving birth only once- so siblings were rare, and usually only happened in the case of twins.

Those who had lost their children would never be able to try for another.

It didn't use to be that way- it was only after the introduction of quintessence that birth rates began to fall. In turn, their life spans began to grow longer- these days, it wasn't rare to find Galra who had lived for upwards to a thousand years, if not longer.

Kolivan would say sometimes that their race had become just as warped as their leader.

"Paladins," Allura's voice came across the ship's intercom, breaking him and everyone else out of their thoughts, "-sorry to interrupt your training session, but it seems that Coran needs a bit of a hand with the repairs. Could you come to the bridge?"

"Sure thing princess," Shiro said, briefly catching his eye, causing him to blink, "-we're on our way."

* * *

"You know, I'm just surprised you don't actually know what a _somoflange_ is."

"I'm not Altean, Shiro." Keith told him, barely so much as sparing him a glance. "It's been a dead language for ten thousand years. Not much sense in teaching it to anyone."

When he'd found Keith, he was perched on top of the red lion, going through some kind of old book. He'd heard that there was a library on the ship from Pidge, but he'd never actually been there himself- he doubted that there was anything there that he'd be able to read.

Keith, on the other hand, could.

Maybe he couldn't read it, but he'd seen enough of it by now to recognize the symbols. It wasn't just the book that Keith was looking through, but all the books that Keith had gathered seemed to be in Galran. He guessed it made sense- back before Zarkon had turned on them, they'd been allies.

It really shouldn't have come as a surprise to him to learn that he was fluent, but then- Keith didn't look very Galra. He assumed there was a reason for that, but Keith hadn't told him yet, and he wasn't about to go back on his word and ask.

Keith hadn't told him much, actually.

Which didn't mean that he hadn't learned anything new about him- he had, actually. Ever since he had confronted him about the truth, Keith had grown a bit more relaxed in his presence, in a way that he never had been before. The guard that he had been holding up so fiercely had weakened, allowing Shiro the occasional glimpse through the gaps.

If it were anyone else, he would have hidden the books.

For him? All he'd done when he'd asked about them was to mutter something about research. He hadn't told him anything more, but he hadn't made any effort to conceal the fact that he was reading a Galran book.

"Fair enough." Shiro observed. "I'm probably _more_ surprised that you started that- what did Hunk call it, a squishy asteroid fight?"

Now Keith did spare him a glance, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. "Technically, Lance threw the first one. And besides, they're _spores_ , not asteroids."

"Hey, I'm not saying it was a bad thing." Shiro told him, holding up his hands. "It's good that you're trying to bond with the team more."

And that just confused Keith.

"I don't see how throwing things at each other is bonding." Keith told him.

"Keith, it took a _food fight_ for us to be able to form Voltron." Shiro pointed out. "I'm pretty sure none of us are in a position to say that."

Tilting his head, Keith merely frowned. "...that's sound logic. Bonding wasn't exactly what I had in mind, though."

"Maybe not, but the intention doesn't have to be there for it to count." Shiro told him, giving him a faint smile. "Even if it _was_ a little on the childish side."

Not that it was a bad thing. Assuming Keith's height was as actually advertised- and he had no reason to believe otherwise- then he was pretty small for a Galra. Either his growth had been stunted at some point, or he wasn't full grown- a child, in other words. When he'd joined the Garrison, he'd put down his age as sixteen, which meant that now, two years later, he'd be eighteen- but that was only under _Earth_ terms.

He couldn't ignore the chance that Keith might actually potentially be a lot _younger_ than the other paladins. Hunk's child solider theory might still have some weight.

In that case, seeing him act like one was a good thing, in so far as he was concerned.

Letting out a faint snort, Keith arched a brow. "Shiro, you were right there, throwing spores around with us. What's your excuse?"

"In my defense, I'm only six years old." Shiro told him.

To his credit, Keith barely so much as blinked, squinting at him for a long moment- before understanding flickered across his features. "Oh. Right. Now I remember."

Darn. He'd been hoping that leap years were one piece of Earth trivia that Keith hadn't managed to pick up on. Which, okay, _maybe_ a bit childish of him, he'd admit- but he'd never had the chance to pull that joke on an alien before, so it was no fun if he already knew what a leap year was.

"What do you think they are, anyways?" Keith asked, turning the page of his book. "The spores."

"Can't say." Shiro told him. "Whatever they are, I'm sure Pidge will find out."

He didn't miss the way Keith's brow crinkled at the mention of the green paladin. Clearly what had happened during training was still bothering him.

Keith's biggest problem when it came to teamwork was that he _could_ pretty much do everything on his own. Teaching him that he could- and _should_ \- rely on his fellow paladins was not going to be an easy task, but Shiro hadn't expected it to be. But if they were ever going to come together as a proper team, then it was a hurdle that he needed to overcome.

He'd known from the outset that it wasn't going to be an easy task. Not only did he need to teach Keith, he needed for him to _unlearn_ what he already knew. Whatever he had been taught during his Blade of Marmora training, it wouldn't do him any good as a paladin.

At least he didn't think Keith would hold Pidge's error in training against her. Odds were, he'd probably grumble about it for a day or two, but he'd move past it.

Pidge on the other hand... she'd seemed pretty miffed.

Not that he could blame her. From her perspective, it must have seemed like Keith had decided he couldn't rely on her. It wasn't exactly great framework for a team, much less for a pair that had to work in tandem as Voltron's arms.

It wasn't like Keith thought she _couldn't_ defend herself- he did, that much was clear. He wouldn't have left her to deal with the sentries during the Castle invasion if he didn't. But as for actually relying on her to have his back... that was a different story.

Not that Keith seemed to trust _anyone_ to have his back. That was something he was going to have to work on too.

"Guys!" In an impressive feat of timing, Pidge's voice came over the intercom. Based upon how excited she sounded, it wasn't hard to guess that she'd broken the code. "Check this out."

* * *

"You know," Lance began, "-I would have thought a _psychic nature boy_ would have been better at this."

Glancing up with a slight frown, she turned her gaze towards Keith. Sure enough, he was still tinkering with the Olkari circlet that Ryner had given them, turning it over in his hands. A tight frown was set on his lips, and she briefly recalled the way he'd expressed interest in the tree mechs.

 _Serves him right_ , some part of her thought. Maybe it was a bit petty of her, but this morning had put her in a sour mood. Part of her recognized that Keith's behavior during their exercise had been the entire reason that Shiro had thrown it together, but the other part was still miffed.

If the exercise hadn't been designed so that Keith couldn't hold on for the ball for too long, she probably would have spent the entire time hanging back on the sidelines. Sure, maybe she wasn't the biggest fan of physical activity, especially not first thing in the morning, but she liked the feeling of not being relied on even less.

So yeah- she was annoyed with Keith right now.

At least being here, on Olkarion, had managed to put her in a better mood- even if she had grumbled about having to go to the forest as opposed to the city at first. That was before she knew that the ones who had sent the distress signal were a band of Olkari that had escaped from the cities when they had been overtaken by the Galra- though in hindsight, she should have guessed.

After all, they had managed to program a _spore_. Who could manage a feat like that, if not the universe's greatest race of engineers?

Figures _Keith_ would be thrilled about the forest though. Him being a _nature boy_ , as Lance had put it, didn't surprise her at all, considering that they had first found him living out of a shack in the middle of the desert, alone.

Which did raise some questions about his parents- who let their child just live out in the desert by themselves, doing something as vague as chasing an energy signal?

Maybe they were psychic too.

"I don't think being psychic is going to help him much." Pidge simply remarked. "I'm more surprised that _Hunk_ can't manage it."

"Yeah, I'm no good at thinking in binary." Hunk told her. "Pretty sure it'd just give me a headache."

Watching with one eye as Keith finally threw in the towel, going to join Shiro, Pidge frowned. Maybe being psychic didn't help him interact with the Olkari interface, but she _had_ noticed that he'd been acting a bit weird every since they had stepped foot on Olkarion. It wasn't the same kind of weird as back on the Balmera- if anything, it was the opposite.

Being in the forest made him seem more _energized_.

Maybe it was just the whole _nature boy_ thing. They had been stuck on the Castle of Lions for who knows how long now. The last time Keith had left the castle-ship, it had been back when the red lion crash landed on that asteroid. They hadn't been on a planet with actual nature since, well- _Arus_.

Before that, he'd been living out in the desert.

Of course, it could be the _psychic_ thing. Keith adamantly refused to answer any of her questions about his abilities, turning down every offer to test them- even though, as she pointed out, they could help him to better understand them. It wasn't like she was doing it for her own personal curiosity, which, okay, she'd admit, was a factor.

It was almost like he had something to hide.

"I still say mine was just a tree." Lance said. "But hey- who knows, maybe if we free this King Lubos dude or whatever, he'll take our little Pidge here under his wing?"

Oh man, that sounded like a dream come true.

Being mentored by the leader of the Olkari? Forget becoming a paladin of Voltron, when she found Matt, that was all she would brag to him about.

* * *

The presence of his helmet was the only thing keeping him from pulling out his hair.

From the second he'd heard that there would be an infiltration mission, he'd perked right up. Something like that fell well within his range of talents, a fact which Shiro knew now- so he thought for sure he would send him in. He could be in and out with this _King Lubos_ in no time, leaving them free to attack the imperial forces that had taken the city.

Granted, he'd never been on a rescue mission before, but it couldn't be _that_ hard. It wasn't something that the Blade did often, if ever- usually when they did, it was because whoever they were rescuing was someone too important- or too dangerous- to be allowed to fall into Zarkon's hands.

Instead, they were all going.

He'd shot Shiro a look across the circle, one that he'd caught, but had then proceeded to pointedly ignore. He knew Shiro must have had a good reason for his choice, but he couldn't help but fume- what good was he to the team if he couldn't put his talents to use?

He wanted to pull Shiro aside, to ask him about it, but there was no time. Not when there was some kind of unknown weapon in the Olkari city, one that nearly looked complete. Getting King Lubos out of there and taking out the entrenched imperial forces was the priority right now- anything else could wait.

Any weapon that the Olkari had built could be nothing good.

He knew that Olkarion had fallen to imperial forces some months before he was to be sent to Earth. Kolivan had been keeping an eye on the situation, but from the intelligence that he had gathered, he'd determined that the commander in charge of this sector was acting alone, and had yet to report his actions to Galra High Command.

Commander Branko- greedy, ruthless, but also shortsighted. It was that latter trait that had him placed on the fringe of Zarkon's forces, away from any of the real action. He took too many gambles, and not all of them paid off- and Zarkon preferred those who earned him results.

Taking Olkarion was a feat, but one that he was choosing to let go unreported. He'd probably been planning on using it to gain him glory, to win back favor with Zarkon- and judging from the giant cube outside of their headquarters, it looked like that was exactly it.

In theory, it should make taking back Olkarion simple.

In reality, he knew that nothing was ever simple.

In reality, King Lubos had sold out his own people.

It made Keith's blood boil. He'd seen it before- rulers that would rather give into Zarkon, rather than try to fight. That was one thing- most of them were earnest in their desire to avoid bloodshed, if not naive. They would beg for mercy, and not realize that none existed within the Galra Empire.

But then there were rulers like this.

King Lubos claimed that he was doing this for his people- but just one look at his well fed, rotund figure told him a different story. He had been living a pampered life, while half of his people had been kept as slaves, and the other half had to flee for their lives, exiled to the forest.

He was no king.

He didn't think his gamble with Lubos would bear any fruit- but he could tell that they were outgunned, so he needed to do _something_. Taking Lubos hostage seemed like a good idea at the time, if not ineffective.

Besides, holding his bayard to his throat made him feel better.

For all that he was a genius engineer, Lubos clearly didn't understand one thing- there was no such thing as a bargain with the Galra Empire. Once you served your purpose, you would be thrown out like scrap.

And now they had a dangerous weapon, all because of him.

Turning him over to his people seemed like a _mercy_ , compared to what he wanted to do to him. As far as he was considered, the King was a traitor, and traitors only earned one thing for themselves.

But they still had the weapon to contend with. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a giant sized version of the flying echo cube that Coran had- which turned out to be the problem. Whatever they fed into it, it gave back- and when they tried to slice it apart, it just _multiplied_.

They were steadily running out of options.

Gritting his teeth, Keith gripped the controls of the red lion tight. Once again, Voltron wasn't strong enough. They weren't even _Voltron_ now, they had split up back into lions, forced to do so in order to evade the attacks of what were now _four_ echo cubes.

Even the blue lion's freeze ray had no effect.

That's when he heard the scream.

Jerking his head up, he turned in the direction it had come from, watching as the green lion plummeted to the ground. He hadn't seen what had happened, but he could only assume that it had gotten taken out by the cubes- a direct hit, given the crackle of energy that coated it as it crashed to the ground.

He felt something cold creep into his chest at the sight of it, taking root when Pidge didn't respond over the coms. He knew it would take more than just that to take out one of the lions, but he didn't know if the same could be said of its paladin. The armor that they wore had been designed with defense in mind, but even then, a blow in the wrong spot could still do serious damage.

(He tried not to think about how fragile humans could be.)

He felt, rather than heard, the low growl that escaped him. How could they be the _defenders of the universe_ , if they couldn't even beat one measly cube?

How could _he_ be a defender of the universe, if he couldn't actually protect anyone? Not his fellow paladins. Not Ulaz. Not anyone.

He couldn't even defeat a stupid cube.

He just wanted to throw himself at the damn things, to take them out of the sky, but nothing they had tried yet had worked. He still hadn't tried his lion's railgun, but given that the shoulder cannon hadn't worked, he doubted he'd have much luck with Red. He wasn't going to risk giving those things more firepower.

He sensed, rather than saw, Pidge's return.

Something connected in the back of his mind the instant he _did_ see her- while the others were focused on how fast she was flying, his thoughts were on something else. He guessed none of them could sense it- the way that the green lion's presence was stronger than it had been before.

When he'd unlocked Red's hidden weapon, he'd felt the same thing.

The blue lion felt that way too now, and it hadn't been hard to guess why- Lance was only telling anyone who would listen about unlocking its hidden power. Which had to mean that between the time she had fallen out of the sky, and the time she had returned to battle, something had _changed_ between Pidge and the green lion.

Hunk was right- he wouldn't have thought that vines would have brought those cubes down.

Shoulders sagging, Keith caught himself letting out a breath of relief. Ignoring Branko for as long as they had, had clearly been a mistake- if that weapon had gotten into Zarkon's hands, he couldn't imagine the damage that he could have done with it.

It also reminded him that the Blades' intelligence, though far reaching, was hardly perfect. If it was, they would have been able to locate Pidge's family by now.

When it came down to it, only a small handful of Blades were cleared for deep cover missions. It took specialized training- not just how not to get caught, how to scramble messages and cover up their actions, but also how to _resist_.

Druids, torture- but also propaganda.

Those who were selected for deep cover missions within the Galra Empire were only chosen after a rigorous series of tests. Even then, it wasn't perfect- all deep cover agents were closely monitored for any signs of suspicious activities. Even his mother wasn't spared that scrutiny.

They couldn't afford it.

All it took was one- just one- and their entire operation could be blown wide open. His own father had been a painful reminder of that. He would never know if it had been a mistake to send him on a deep cover mission in the first place, or if it had just been a mistake to send him on the one to which he'd been assigned.

All he knew was that Kolivan didn't risk sending any more agents to spy on Lotor.

He hadn't gotten the information that he'd wanted in the end, but they'd still paid too high of a cost for it. _Kolivan_ had paid too high of a cost for it- the weight of the choice that he'd been forced to make that day was still one that weighed heavy on his shoulders, maybe more so than any other he'd been forced to make since taking command of the Blade of Marmora.

Shaking off such thoughts, Keith landed the red lion. The Olkari forces had been successful in driving the imperial forces out of the city, reclaiming it for their own. It was important news, and he'd have to report it to Kolivan as soon as possible- but for now, he needed to get out there and join the others.

Casting a glance in Pidge's direction, he gave her a slight frown. She deserved all the credit today- if it hadn't been for her unlocking her lion's hidden power, they might not have made it out of this battle alive.

...maybe he hadn't been giving her enough credit.

Inwardly wincing, it dawned on him that he'd been doing the same thing to her that he hated being done to him- judging her because of her size. He knew that Pidge was capable- back when the Castle of Lions had been taken over by Sendak, she'd dispatched the sentries sent after her. He might have taken out Haxus, but it had been her efforts that allowed them to win the day, and to take back the castle-ship.

He should have known better.

Maybe- maybe that's what Shiro had been trying to teach him.

...in which case, he _probably_ owed her an apology. Probably.

Which was- infiltration missions he was good at, but _apologies_? His Blade of Marmora training didn't prepare him for that.

* * *

"Pidge, can I have a second?"

And there went her good mood.

Part of her just wanted to ignore Keith, brush him off. But there was something in his tone that forced her to stop, staring up at him with a tight frown on her face. He sounded... _hesitant_. Which was not a word that she normally associated with Keith.

"Sure," she told him, "-take all the seconds you need."

He seemed to frown at the turn of phrase, but didn't question it. Hunk was right, they _seriously_ needed to work on Keith when it came to figures of speech. If she didn't know any better, it was like he'd grown up under a rock.

Hell, maybe he had.

"I- the training exercise from before," Keith began- and she didn't even attempt to disguise her frown at the mention of it, "-I didn't do it right. Sorry."

...okay, she hadn't actually expected an apology. Heck, she'd been certain that Keith hadn't even realized he'd done anything worth apologizing _for_.

It was short, abrupt, even a bit forced- but she was pretty sure it was at least _earnest_.

"Wow," arching a brow, Pidge couldn't help but let an amused smile twitch at her lips, "-you suck at apologies."

Keith seemed to bristle at her comment, but before he could say anything else, she preemptively cut him off. She didn't exactly want to give him the wrong idea.

"Apology accepted." She told him, nudging him in the stomach with her elbow. "Just don't do it again, okay? Us arms have to stick together."

Blinking, Keith tilted his head, brows furrowing- before he slowly nodded his head. "Yeah. Sure."

"Great!" Pidge grinned. "Now, if that's all, I'm dying to get out of this armor. Between early morning training and saving a planet, I'm _pooped_."

Which made one of them, she noted- for someone who apparently only slept for three hours, she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen Keith _tired_. She didn't know how he did it, but she was dying to know his secret. Imagine all the stuff she could get done if she only had to sleep for three hours!

"Allura said she wants us on the bridge when we're done." Keith reminded her.

"Yeah, I know, I'll be there." Pidge assured him.

Satisfied with that, Keith gave her a curt nod of his head, walking away without another word. His departure was just as abrupt as his apology was, but timing did not appear to be Keith's strong suit. But hey- she'd give him credit for trying.

And her bad mood? Gone.

Heck, between awakening the green lion's hidden power and meeting the Olkari, maybe today was even a _good_ one.

* * *

She just had to go and jinx herself, didn't she?


	9. storm

Hey y'all, here's chapter nine! We're steadily moving forward! The Big Reveal is so close that I can almost taste it. Are you excited? Because I'm excited. But we've still got a handful of episodes to get through before we get there, so let's get on with it! Here we have the castle-ship crew's very bad no good day. Which sums up a lot of days, but this one was an _especially_ bad day.

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter nine**

 **storm**

* * *

 _Zarkon_.

The sight of Central Command all but dwarfing the Castle of Lions sent a chill down his spine.

How? How had Zarkon found them?

Commander Branko. He must have radioed Zarkon from Olkarion. That _had_ to be it. There was no other explanation.

Whatever the case, however he had found them, one thing was clear- they couldn't stay here. Scrambling to his chair, Keith brought up the program for the ship's drones. He'd rather just hop in the red lion and attack, but from the sound of it, that wasn't an option right now. They'd been up since early this morning, and had just come off an intense battle- maybe _he_ was fine, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of the paladins.

They just had to put some distance between them, and then Allura could wormhole them away. They could worry about how Zarkon found them later. If they didn't get away from him now, there would _be_ no later.

It was only once they got away, that the problem presented itself.

He'd never given how the ship managed to create wormholes much thought. He knew that even ten thousand years ago, Altean technology was so advanced, that it could nearly be mistaken for magic, so he'd just chalked it up to that. But from the sound of it, there was an actual technical explanation behind the creation of wormholes.

And right now, those same teleduv lenses that let them wormhole were cracked.

That was undeniably bad. From the sound of it, they didn't just have replacements lying around, which honestly seemed _kind of_ like an oversight. It meant that until they could find some way to replace them, they might not have enough power to create wormholes.

Even worse, the lens stones were apparently made out of _scaultrite_ , which, while not nearly as hard to find as _luxite_ was, was still a pretty uncommon substance. And the only method of getting it was... well, there was a reason fetching some was a mission every new Blade of Marmora recruit was sent on.

Himself included.

And he was _not_ going back into the stomach of a Weblum anytime soon, not if he could help it. He could make a whole list of things he'd rather do, such as spending the rest of his life stuck as a human, or returning to the temples of Elzat and consequently losing his sense of self, since the first time had been so much fun, or stars forbid, eating a _lezidan_ fruit again.

It had been that bad.

Near as he could tell, the Castle of Lions didn't possess any kind of hyperspace functions- which again, seemed like kind of an oversight. Maybe it wouldn't get them as far as a wormhole, but it would do in a pinch.

Without those lenses, if the Galra caught up to them, they'd be sitting ducks.

And that did not sound good.

To make matters worse, Allura's condition wasn't good. Maybe the malfunction had caused the lenses or whatever to draw more energy from her than they otherwise should have? That sounded reasonable, right?

And then there was _Coran's_ condition which was just... yeah.

He'd heard that some furred Galra could develop a condition which caused massive hair loss in their youth, but nothing to the degree of... what had Allura called it, the _slipperies_?

Whatever it was, it was _disgusting_.

(Honestly, he was surprised it was just _Pidge_ who vomited.)

At least they had gotten away. That should give them some time to recover, think of a plan about what to do from this point forward. When Shiro mentioned the Blade of Marmora, he'd frowned, wondering if that was really such a good idea- they'd never exactly figured out how it was that Zarkon had managed to find them back in the Thaldycon system, so he didn't like the idea of potentially risking the location of their main base.

Thankfully, it was quickly shelved.

He had to admit, for a human, Shiro's stamina was impressive. Everyone else looked like they were nearly dead on their feet.

Rest was in order. He didn't fight it- he should probably take this chance to report to Kolivan about Olkarion, and the fact that _Central Command_ had come after them. As for telling him about Shiro... maybe that could wait.

"Keith."

Speaking of Shiro.

Turning on his heel, he looked back at him. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Shiro asked. "It won't take long, I promise."

Frowning, he nodded his head. "Sure."

"This is the second time Zarkon's found us." Shiro told him, his voiced hushed. There wasn't anyone else in the hall with him, but it was nice to see that he was erring on the side of caution. "You're the one who knows the most about the Empire. Do you have any idea how he could have done it?"

He had one idea, but he was trying not to think about it.

"I don't know." Keith lied. "I was going to ask Kolivan, see if he could maybe get something from Thace."

"Thace?" Shiro asked- and he felt himself flinch as he said it. He hadn't meant to tell him that. "Is that the name of the spy you've got in Central Command?"

"Yeah, that's him." Keith admitted- not point denying it now. He wanted Shiro to think of him as someone he could trust, in spite of his current status as a spy. "He's a ranking commander, so he might know something."

Nodding his head, Shiro gave him a small smile. "Good plan. Let me know if you find anything out."

"Yes sir."

With that taken care of, he made his way down to the red lion's hangar. Giving her a small smile in greeting, she leaned down to let him into the cockpit, where he promptly retrieved his transmitter, opening a hailing line to Kolivan.

"Kyix," he began, without prelude, "-report."

"We received a distress signal from Olkarion." Keith informed him. "Commander Branko was using them to create some kind of weapon based off their echo cubes. During the liberation of the planet, the green paladin forged a deeper connection with her lion, and awoke its hidden power. She used it to neutralize the weapon."

"King Lubos," he noted with disgust, "-was working with the Empire. He's been turned over to his people. An Olkari by the name of Ryner is in charge now. The weapon should no longer be a problem, but I'll send you the data the red lion gathered on it."

"The liberation of a planet is good news." Kolivan stated. "Yet you seem troubled, and by more than just a treacherous ruler."

"There's... more to report." Keith told him. "Olkarion was freed successfully, but shortly afterwards, Central Command tracked us down."

Narrowing his eyes, Kolivan frowned. "I take it you managed to escape."

"For the moment." Keith informed him. "But the wormhole generator has taken damage, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to fix it or not. We assume that Commander Branko must have radioed Zarkon from Olkarion, but-"

"-but you are not convinced."

Shaking his head, Keith frowned. "This is the second time he's found us. We know how he tracked us down on Arus and the Balmera, but we _still_ don't know how he found us in the Thaldycon system. I checked every inch of this ship for bugs, but the only ones I could find were the ones that I set up."

Which, for the moment, were switched off.

If Allura decided to check for trackers, then the bugs he'd planted ran the risk of being exposed. They were designed to be invisible even to Galra scanners, but this was _Altean_ tech they were dealing with, so he couldn't say for sure that the same would apply to it. Either way, he wasn't about to take his chances.

"I will contact Thace, see if I can find out what he knows." Kolivan told him. "In the meantime-"

Kolivan didn't get to finish that sentence, the castle-ship jostled violently by something, pitching him forward. Grunting, Keith dug his fingers into the pilot's chair, trying to keep himself steady. Using one hand, he brought up the exterior view of the Castle, feeling himself pale.

"No way."

"Kyix?" Kolivan spoke. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Zarkon." Keith told him. "He found us again."

* * *

Kyix's transmission cut off abruptly.

While not without its quiet moments, leading the Blade of Marmora was hardly a relaxing job. When he'd taken the position all those centuries ago, he'd known that. Still, he didn't think he'd ever felt quite so tense as he did now.

Zarkon's forces had been able to track down the Castle of Lions twice, within the same day. It was clear to him that there was something abnormal going on here, and the faster he got to the bottom of it, the better.

Whether or not the Blade of Marmora would ally with them, Voltron was still a substantial fighting force. As the paladins continued to deepen their bonds with their lions, it became even more so. But that same power in Zarkon's hands would spell an end to any form of resistance, and perhaps even the universe itself.

It wasn't something they could let fall into his hands.

The best case scenario was that it was a fluke, but experience told him that there was no such thing as a fluke when it came to Zarkon. No, somehow Zarkon was tracking the Altean castle-ship, and whatever he was using to do it, it was no normal instrument. He might be young, but Kyix was still well trained- he wouldn't have missed a tracker.

Turning on his heel, he kept his back straight, so that he didn't betray anything he was feeling. They couldn't afford to lose Voltron, yes- but he also didn't want to lose Kyix so soon after losing Ulaz.

He'd rather not be turned into a pelt on Krolia's wall.

"Contact Thace."

* * *

This couldn't be right.

Somehow, Zarkon had tracked them down again. It had barely even been an hour since they had escaped from him the first time- that he would be able to find them again so soon didn't seem like it was possible.

But regardless of whether or not it was, it didn't change the fact that he had. Racing to his control panel, Shiro looked up to find Pidge and Hunk scrambling onto the bridge. No sign of Lance, and Keith-

"Shiro," almost as soon as he thought that, Keith's face popped up on the Castle's screens, "-I'm in the red lion now. Do you want me to launch?"

His instinct was to say no, but that wasn't his call right now. Turning back to Allura, she gave him a curt nod of her head, her expression tight.

"Launch, but stay close." Shiro instructed, turning back to Keith. "We can't afford to be separated."

Giving him a curt nod of his head, Keith's screen vanished without another word. Another screen popped up in its place, informing them that the red lion had left its hangar. Bringing up the visual onscreen, he sucked in his breath, something about the image of the red lion facing down hundreds of Galra fighters alone not sitting well with him.

"Lance," Shiro began, turning on his heel only to realize that Lance was still not there, "-where's Lance?"

"According to this," Pidge spoke up- she'd probably been thinking the same thing, since she was already checking her monitor, "-he's stuck in the elevator. Looks like Coran diverted power from it."

Any other time, he'd find some irony in that, but right now, that was the worst place for him to be.

"Well _un_ -divert it." Shiro instructed.

Skidding in just a minute or two later, Lance scrambled to his seat, bringing up the drone program. Judging from the way he was dressed, he'd say he'd been on his way to that pool Allura had mentioned in passing once, when he'd gotten stuck.

Whatever he'd been doing, it didn't matter now. What mattered was getting away from Zarkon- _again_.

"Keith." Shiro instructed him, the red paladin's image appearing onscreen again. He wondered if his conversation with Kolivan had turned anything up, or if he was still in the dark. Either way, he couldn't ask about that now. "We need you to clear us a path. Lance will cover you."

"Got it." Keith told him.

He watched as the red lion's railgun, the weapon that he had unlocked during his fight with Zarkon, charged up, firing a single shot. It decimated the fighters, but more simply came back out to take their place. Letting out a growl of frustration, Keith fired another round, before he had to switch on the defensive as Lance lost control of his drone.

Seconds later, Keith's image vanished from the screen, as Coran and Pidge diverted power from that too. The wormhole generator must have been in worse shape than he thought, if just making one jump took all this power.

But they made it.

The red lion barely had time to follow, but it made it too.

"Keith," Allura instructed, once she had caught her breath- the wormhole jump had taken a lot out of her, and she was already exhausted as it was, "-remain on standby in your hangar."

"Copy that, princess."

No one questioned what he had been doing there. Apparently, word of Keith sleeping in his lion had spread.

He wasn't sure how the princess would feel about her father's lion actively guarding Keith. He'd been stunned to learn that it had been shielding his transmissions this entire time, but in hindsight, it kind of made sense. The red lion's bond with Keith ran deep.

From the moment it had accepted him as its paladin, it had realized what he was. It just hadn't cared.

He wished he had that kind of connection with the black lion. But he didn't have time for such thoughts, not now. Right now, they had to figure out just how Zarkon was tracking them, and ensure that they put a stop to it.

Pidge's suggestion to hide in the eye of the storm was a good one- at least, that was what he thought.

Because he found them again.

"It's me."

Allura sounded so sure of herself, so _certain_.

"It's been me all along. That's how they found us on planet Arus."

He wasn't so sure.

"It doesn't matter, princess."

No, if Zarkon was tracking anything- it had to be the black lion.

"We're in this together. We're gonna get out together."

It was him.

* * *

It was him.

It _had_ to be him.

It was the only thing that made any sense. Allura was right- Zarkon's witch _had_ done something to him when they'd passed through that corrupted wormhole. He didn't know what, but whatever it was, it had to be what they were using to track them.

He was putting them all in danger, just by being here.

But he couldn't focus on that now. Shiro wanted them to form Voltron, so that's what he would do. Getting everyone out of here took top priority- he could worry about how Zarkon was tracking them once they got away.

And they _would_ get away.

He'd make sure of it, even if he had to fight Zarkon himself for a second time.

He could almost _feel_ the others exhaustion through the paladin bond. Even Shiro felt more tired than he'd thought he was- had he just been pretending?

(That probably wasn't healthy.)

Chewing on his lip, Keith couldn't help but wonder if there was anything he could do about it. He was fine- not even close to being tired. Maybe if he could just _share_ some of that energy with them, they'd be able to pull through this fight. Was that even possible?

No sooner than had he thought that, did he feel something being pulled out of him. The moment he noticed it, he panicked, slamming the floodgates shut.

"Wha- did you guys feel that?" Hunk asked.

"That sudden burst of energy?" Lance asked. "Yeah, I felt it alright. I'm like, wide awake now."

"Yeah, me too." Pidge observed. "I- Keith was that _you_?"

"Uh," frowning, Keith's brow furrowed, "-maybe? I don't know."

Was it? All he'd done was think about it, he hadn't tried to _do_ anything. Then again, there was so much he didn't know about his own _reazit_ , so he couldn't say it _wasn't_ possible, especially not when he kept the paladin bond in mind. Even if he did keep his end of it as guarded as possible, that didn't mean he didn't notice what a mysterious sensation it was.

It was like they were all _linked_.

One unit, fighting with one goal. That was how Shiro had described it, when they had formed Voltron the first time they had fought a robeast. He was starting to think he understood what he'd meant by that.

He could only imagine what it was like if he were more open to it, but he couldn't afford that. He had too many secrets, too much to give away. He'd already exposed more through it than he wanted known.

"Whatever it was," Shiro said, "-it's a help. Thanks, Keith."

All he did was nod his head- before he dimly realized none of them could see that. "Yeah. Sure."

"Right," Shiro began, "-now lets get these fighters away from the Castle."

* * *

The downside of the paladin bond was that they _all_ felt what Keith felt.

It meant feeling Voltron being torn apart twice as strong. It meant feeling like their minds were being invaded by some kind of unknown force, threatening to claw at them if they got too close to it.

And if that was how it felt for them, then they couldn't imagine how it felt for _Keith_.

* * *

"I, for one, can't believe we're alive."

Holding up a hand, Lance just grunted in agreement with Hunk.

"I think what Lance is trying to say is," Pidge began, from where she had collapsed on the couch, "-ditto."

Letting out another grunt, Lance gave her a thumbs up, before dropping his hand entirely. He couldn't exactly blame him- after the day they'd been through, exhaustion was understandable.

Whatever Keith had done back in Voltron, it had either worn off, or had just waned naturally. Having Voltron torn apart by outside forces, and then having to use their own bodies to position makeshift teleduv lenses, where even the _slightest_ miscalculation in trajectory could have killed them all, seemed like it would do that.

Once it became clear that Zarkon wasn't following them this time, they had all but collapsed in the lounge, nearly dead to the world. He had half a mind to tell them all to just head to bed, but here was, in the exact same boat as them.

Well, everyone except for Keith. But he had a hunch he knew where he was.

He'd looked... troubled. He hadn't gotten the chance to talk to him, other than making sure he was alright after Voltron being broken apart, but he could tell there was something weighing on his mind.

Whatever it was, he didn't seem inclined to share it.

It wasn't like he'd entirely expected Keith to open up to him, but he'd hoped that if something was troubling him, that he wouldn't hesitate to talk to him. Even if his own thoughts were a little on the frazzled side right now.

Even leaders needed to take a break sometimes.

For all he knew, Keith _did_ have someone to talk to. He didn't know just where he fit in with the Blade of Marmora, but Ulaz had clearly been close to him. He still didn't know what his relationship with Krolia was, but given their similarities, he wouldn't be shocked to find out they were related.

On the rare occasion that he spoke of his family, it was his mother he spoke of. Had he... had he met Keith's _mother_? Was that why Keith was so interested in her? Why she was so interested in Keith?

...in which case, he'd prevented his mother from getting any updates on her son. Not his best call.

"You did good work out there today, team." Shiro told them, once he'd roused enough energy to do so. "I know today wasn't easy, but you all really pulled through. I'm proud of you."

"I'm just glad Hunk decided to make those terrible cookies." Pidge remarked.

"You know what, I'm so tired, I'm not even going to get offended." Hunk said. "But hey- lesson learned. Scaultrite is not for baking."

"I learned to make sure the safety is on the next time I try to learn Altean." Pidge said, which was about as bizarre a statement as they came.

"I learned getting stuck in the elevator is _not_ fun." Lance remarked. "Ugh. I can't believe I have to apologize to Keith for making fun of him. How did he even manage to get out of it? Because I tried, and let me tell you, that is not a one person job."

He knew it was because Keith had never been in there in the first place, but he'd just bite his tongue on that. Maybe Lance would actually _learn_ something from this. He had potential, he just needed to work a little harder to bring it out.

"It's _Keith_." Pidge stated. "I don't think he's well acquainted with the laws of physics."

"Maybe he levitated." Hunk said.

"Hunk, I don't think he's that kind of psychic." Lance told him. "He's more like some kind of weird empath or whatever. Which yeah- he's right, that's a lousy ability."

"Oh good, so I'm not the only one who felt that." Pidge said. "He's okay though, right? I mean... he seemed pretty okay to me. Shiro?"

"He said he was fine." Shiro told her. "I trust him."

"He said that back on the Balmera too." Lance pointed out. "Shouldn't someone like, check to make sure he's not passed out somewhere?"

Closing his eyes, Shiro let the paladins' conversation wash over him. It was good to hear that they were concerned about Keith- about _Kyix_ , he guessed he should say- he just had to have faith that their bond with him would hold up once the truth came out.

Because sooner or later, he knew it would have to.

* * *

This had to be what bone deep exhaustion felt like.

For a long time, all he could manage was to slump in the pilot's chair, head resting against it. Allowing Red's low rumble to wash over him, Keith closed his eyes, half drifting.

He should leave.

Some part of him knew that. Zarkon had to be tracking them through him, it was the only explanation. But at the moment, he couldn't dredge up the energy to do so. He was sure that once he got some rest, he would be back to normal, but for the time being, he was completely wiped.

Letting out a breath, he gathered up his last dredges of energy, sitting up straight. He still needed to touch base with Kolivan. Maybe he'd learned something that would put all his worries to rest.

Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

"You appear exhausted."

"It's been a long day." Keith told him. "Did you get anything from Thace?"

"I'm afraid not." Kolivan told him. "Whatever method Zarkon is using to track the Castle of Lions, it appears to be beyond his access level."

Frowning at that, Keith felt his brows furrow. "Wasn't he promoted to Commander?"

"He was." Kolivan told him. "According to Thace, Zarkon has been spending more time with the druids lately, though no one seems to know why."

Druids. Druids meant Haggar.

Groaning, Keith closed his eyes. "Right. Thanks, Kolivan."

"You should get some rest." Kolivan told him. He didn't even need to open his eyes to see the stern set of his brow. "You've done much today."

Cracking open an eye, Keith frowned. Maybe he should tell Kolivan about his suspicions- but how could he? Let him know that he'd been potentially compromised? Forget staying with the paladins, he could never even return to the Blades at this rate.

Like father, like son.

Even if in his case, it hadn't been willing.

He'd... tell him later. Once he confirmed it.

If he left, and Zarkon followed, then he'd know for sure. He didn't know what he'd do after that, but he'd figure something out. Maybe once it became clear that he wasn't going to return to the paladins, Zarkon would just lose interest in him.

Unless he'd done something to gain _Haggar's_ interest, in which case, he was screwed.

"Right," Keith said, "-I'll do that."

The stern set of his brows relaxing into something softer, Kolivan nodded his head. "See to it that you do."

Cracking a faint smile, Keith tried not to think about how this might me the last time he'd be able to contact him. If vanishing was what it took to protect the paladins, and to protect the Blade of Marmora, then he would do it, without hesitation.

...okay, maybe with _some_ hesitation.

"Goodnight, Kolivan."

"Sleep well, Kyix."


	10. ark

Boy howdy did I end up rewriting this chapter more than I wanted to- but sometimes you just gotta do it. Anyways, finally, here's the finished product! Chapter ten! Double digits! I don't have a ton else to say about things, so I will just let y'all get right into it! Until next time!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter ten**

 **ark**

* * *

She knew she couldn't stay.

Coran and the paladins might have tried to convince her otherwise, but she knew that she had to be the one that Zarkon was tracking. Simply by being here, she was putting them all in danger- if not the entire universe.

It was how she found herself in the hangar, well after everyone had gone to bed.

Leaving without saying so much as a goodbye did not sit well with her, but she knew that if she did, they would only try to stop her. But she would not be talked out of this- she had made up her mind, even if it hurt to do so.

She _had_ to know.

She wished that she were wrong, truly she did. But the only other option was that Zarkon was tracking them through the black lion, which had... _disturbing_ implications. It was bad enough that Shiro had to fight him for control whenever he was near, but if he were truly able to connect with it over such a vast distance...

...then what hope did Voltron have?

It was better it was her.

Voltron could go on without her, as could the universe. But Voltron could not go on without the black lion, and the universe could not go on without Voltron.

She was the best option.

She didn't exactly expect anyone to be in the hangar, not at this hour. The only hangar that _should_ be occupied at this hour was the red lion's hangar- where apparently Keith had taken to sleeping. She did not understand it herself, but from what she had gathered, sleeping there made him feel secure.

She could not blame him. The Castle of Lions had been breached twice, and by _Galra_ , at that. This Blade of Marmora... in truth, she did not know what to make of them. Part of her truly wished to believe that they were everything that they claimed to be, but part of her...

...part of her was afraid to trust again.

Zarkon hadn't been the only one to betray them.

If Shiro truly wished to form an alliance with them, she would not speak against him. After all, _he_ was the leader of Voltron, not her. But if they wished to gain her trust, they must first prove it.

Even if she now knew that the odds that Ulaz had sold them out were rather low.

It still didn't mean this wasn't some kind of trap.

Even if it weren't, she did not trust the timing of it. For one of their agents have snuck into the Castle of Lions at the same time Sendak had infiltrated it... it was too much to be a coincidence. Even _if_ the operative in question had dealt with Haxus, it did not change the fact that it left her ill at ease.

Not to mention the fact that they had run.

As if they had something to hide.

Shaking off such thoughts, she cast a furtive glance about the hangar. As she said, she did not expect anyone to be here at this time of night, but it could not hurt to double check. The last thing she wanted was for someone to stop her.

Satisfied that the hangar was well and truly empty, she mounted one side of a pod. She was better at flying the Castle than she was one of these, but in a pinch, she could-

"Princess, what are you doing here?"

She believed the Earthlings had an expression for this- ah yes.

It felt as if her heart nearly leapt out of her throat.

She only dimly realized that she'd been caught, and only dimly realized that Keith had caught her, before she was already leaping out of his arms. Where had he even come from?

...and what was he even doing here, in full paladin armor?

Recovering her composure, she cleared her throat. "I should ask you the same thing."

For as mysterious as he could be, it would appear that outright lying was not his strong suit. Not from the way he flinched at the question, and did everything in his power to keep from looking at her, in a way that made it blatantly obvious that his goal was to avoid eye contact.

"Nothing. Just walking. Late at night." It was here where he realized what a poor job he was doing, for his voice faltered. "Near the pods."

"...in full paladin armor?"

To his credit, Keith held her gaze- before he dropped it again. "I- you were right."

Blinking, Allura frowned, the statement baffling her. Right about what?

"It's me." Keith told her. "It has to be me."

Oh.

It dawned on her then what he meant. With everything that had happened in the past few days, she had nearly forgotten about her conversation with Keith on the training deck. But now it all came back to her, fresh, as if it were yesterday.

Clearly, he hadn't.

"You?" Allura said. "It cannot be you."

Blinking, Keith looked up at her, it now his turn to be baffled. It made sense, she supposed- he hadn't been on the bridge either time, when she informed the others that she _had_ to be the reason Zarkon kept finding them. The first time, it was because she herself had ordered him to stand by in the red lion, and the second was because he'd likely gone to sleep.

This psychic gift he possessed... it seemed to tire him out, quite easily.

Especially since, from the sound of it, he had never been taught how to properly use it. She wished that she could help him, but she was uncertain if he would even let her- he had been so against the idea of her checking his quintessence, that she could not imagine that he would.

She wouldn't even know where to begin if he did.

" _You're_ the one who said-"

"I know." Allura cut him off. "But it is not you. It's me."

He simply stared at her, uncomprehending.

"No," recovering quickly, Keith narrowed his eyes, "-you're wrong, princess."

"Be that as it may," Allura told him, "-I cannot simply sit here, and do nothing. If I am the one that Zarkon is tracking, then I must know."

"I suspect," she added, leveling her gaze with his, "-that our reasons for being here are the same."

Opening and closing his mouth, Keith frowned. "So you're not going to stop me?"

"Stop you?" Allura asked, arching her brows, wondering if she had not made herself clear enough. "I intend to join you."

For a long moment, all he did was stare at her. She nearly thought he was about to argue with her, when his shoulders slumped, in either defeat or acceptance, though more likely some combination of the two.

"Fine," he said, "-but I'm flying."

* * *

This was _not_ how he'd planned for this to go.

If the princess hadn't been trying to take the only pod with cloaking technology, not to mention the booster fuel that Pidge had added, he probably wouldn't have even tried to stop her. But if he was planning to outrun Zarkon, then he needed that pod.

So now here he was, stuck in a pod with Allura.

The princess of Altea.

Who bore an extremely justified grudge against the Galra.

 _He_ was Galra.

Just thinking about it made his right hand itch, and he was grateful that it was well concealed underneath his paladin armor. He was also grateful that he'd chosen to go with it in the end- if he'd worn his Marmora armor like he'd planned, he didn't think their encounter in the hangar would have gone over all that well.

Besides, the thrusters on this armor were better.

Still, this was far from an ideal situation.

With the princess here, he couldn't report back to Kolivan. Which meant he couldn't update him on anything- including whether or not Zarkon was tracking him.

He also couldn't relax.

At least he didn't seem to be alone. Chancing a look over towards the princess, he watched as she drummed a finger against the side of the pod, brows knit together like she was lost in thought. For the first hour or so, she'd tried to make small talk, but she'd since given up on that.

It didn't help that she only asked him questions about Earth.

Which... yeah, he'd spent two years there, but at the end of the day, it wasn't like he knew that much about it. He'd been kind of focused on the mission at the time.

And okay, so he had also spent a fair amount of time with Shiro, but that didn't change the fact that his knowledge about Earth was limited. The more she asked, the more it would become obvious that he didn't know what he was talking about, and he didn't think the princess would let that go as easily as the paladins.

It might not have her leaping to the conclusion that he was Galra, but it would definitely rouse suspicion.

And he'd really rather avoid that confrontation.

At least, while he was alone in a pod with her.

"Do you suppose they have noticed we are missing yet?"

Glancing back over towards Allura, he frowned. "Don't know."

"How long do you think it has been?" Allura asked. "I feel as if we have been out here for several vargas now."

"Five vargas." Keith supplied, without even thinking about it.

Looking towards him, Allura blinked. "You sound certain."

Fighting the urge to wince, Keith tried not to look too obvious about it. "I have a good internal clock."

That was normal enough, right? Being able to keep track of time down to the second was a vital skill to have as a Blade. One second's difference could spell the difference between success and failure.

"Ah," she said, sounding rather non-committal, allowing him to breathe a bit easier, "-a bit like Trigel, then."

Trigel.

It was a name he'd only heard in history lessons. Before that, he'd heard it in animated tales, told to him by Asnik, who endeavored to make each character come to life.

(He had to wonder how the princess would feel about a Galra imitating her father.)

"Shouldn't you be comparing her to Pidge?" Keith asked, absently.

Letting out a faint laugh, Allura cracked a smile. "While they _are_ both rather inquisitive, they do not really have that much in common."

"Although," her smile fading, her brows knitting together in visible confusion, "-how did you know Trigel was the former green paladin? I do not recall ever mentioning it."

And that he _did_ flinch at. Right. He wasn't supposed to know that. "I- Coran told me."

"Oh," Allura merely blinked, "-yes, that would make sense."

"Is... is there some reason you don't want me to know?" Keith ventured, frowning.

He knew why she'd kept the fact that Zarkon was the original black paladin from everyone, and he could even sort of guess why she'd never mentioned that her father had once flown the red lion- but as for why she had never mentioned any of the other paladins, he had no clue. Granted, he... hadn't actually thought about it until now, but now that he had, he couldn't help but be curious.

"I... no." Allura told him, her face falling. "It is just difficult to talk about."

"It is not as if I _mean_ to keep it a secret." Allura continued. "I am aware now that I should have told all of you about Zarkon before, but I... when I went to sleep, the paladins of old were all still alive. To think them dead is..."

Oh. Right.

She was still grieving.

"...I'm sorry."

Looking up at him, Allura merely frowned. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Yeah, he did.

Maybe he hadn't destroyed her planet, or killed the paladins of old- even his grandmother hadn't been born then. But he... it was what they were taught, as Blades- that they could not run away from the sins of those who came before them, and those who were here now, simply because they were doing the right thing.

It didn't mean beating oneself up with guilt over things beyond their control, it simply meant using it to push oneself forward. To be better. To _do_ better.

To understand.

He didn't _want_ to be hated, but it wasn't like he didn't understand where it came from. It was why reactions like Coran's, like Shiro's... they baffled him.

"I just," he began, his brow furrowing, "-losing people hurts."

That sounded like a painful oversimplification. Of course losing people hurt. He just... knowing how it felt didn't make him any better at expressing it.

Looking over towards him, Allura pursed her lips. "Have you lost people then? Other than your father?"

It was a question that he should have expected, but it still made him flinch. Looking away, he made a show of studying the navigational charts, all so that he could avoid looking straight at her.

Too many.

Asnik, Cantor, _Ulaz_... countless others besides them.

They were trained, every last one of them, to be prepared to give their life for the cause. For the sake of freedom. They all knew that every mission could be their last- but that didn't make it any easier when they did lose someone.

He didn't know how Kolivan managed, sometimes.

"Yeah," he finally said, keeping his tone curt, "-I have."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out Allura's face falling, he gaze sympathetic. Some bitter part of him couldn't help but wonder how she would feel if she knew all those he had lost were Galra, but he pushed it aside, like the ugly thought it was.

"I am sorry." She told him, her voice quiet.

Chewing on his lip, all he did was nod. He hoped she wouldn't press the issue, but thankfully, she didn't.

It left the cockpit in an awkward state of silence, but it was better than being asked questions he didn't want to answer.

They weren't left in silence for long.

"We're being hailed."

Lifting his head, Keith noticed that she was right. Glancing over towards her, she gave him a curt nod of her head.

No sooner than had he opened a line, did Coran's voice pipe up. "Keith? Allura, where are you?"

He wondered how Coran felt about this, knowing what he was. If he'd had a moment where mistrust had won out over the strange faith that he seemed to put in him.

He wondered if Shiro had.

"Exactly where we should be." Allura said firmly. "Far away from the Castle."

At least he agreed with her on that.

* * *

"...so, should we go back?"

She didn't expect the question from _Keith_ , of all people.

Folding her arms in front of her, Allura frowned. "No. We stay here, until Zarkon finds one of us."

Perhaps Shiro was right- perhaps they were stronger together. But it did not change the fact that she needed to do this- and judging by the curt nod Keith gave her in reply, he felt the same way.

It was strange to think that they both had the same thought. Perhaps it was because she knew so little about him, but she had always been under the impression that the two of them were vastly different. But perhaps, she realized, Keith was not as different from her as she had first thought- their earlier conversation might have been brief, but it had been rather revealing.

She had known for awhile now that Keith had lost his father when he was very young, and that from the sound of it, unlike her own, he was _not_ a good man. She did not know what he had done to earn such resentment from his son, but it was likely deserved.

What she didn't know was that his father _wasn't_ the only one.

She didn't dare to ask questions. Not when her own loss was still so raw within her chest. Perhaps to the rest of the universe, it was ancient history, but to her, it was as if it had all happened only yesterday.

In truth, she had been trying not to dwell on it.

She had thrown herself into her commanding role, doing everything she could to avoid thinking about the magnitude of her loss. She knew that if she did, she would surely break.

Losing her father for the second time had not been easy.

It, and other recent events, had forced her to think on things she did not want to. The paladins learning of Zarkon's former status of the black paladin. This... proposed allegiance, with the group of Galran rebels, who called themselves the Blade of Marmora.

Glancing over towards Keith, she could not help but frown. It was hard to forget how he had viewed her with such suspicion when they had first met, to the point where he had been unwilling to take his eyes off of her. And yet, when Shiro had spoke of Ulaz...

...he'd been the first to trust it.

She could not help but feel a bit miffed.

Part of her understood it. It was clear that Shiro was important to Keith, so if this Ulaz really had done what he said he had, then he had every reason to trust him. _Still_...

"We've been here for hours," Keith observed, breaking her out of her thoughts, which she was glad for, "-still no sign of Zarkon."

"Well, I'm glad I do not have to wait here alone." Allura admitted. As awkward as Keith's company was, it was better than nothing. She was not one to endure boredom well.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noted the way he blinked at that statement, but apparently chose not to say anything. Frowning, she couldn't help but wonder just what kind of impression Keith had of her- and how much worse it had gotten after she had confronted him back on the training deck.

Clearly, she had made some kind of error.

"You understand," she began, knowing he would, "I could never live with myself if Zarkon was finding us because of me. I _must_ know. We face such a dire threat from the Galra."

Something in Keith's face almost seemed to fall at the statement, though he quickly slipped his guard back up. He must have not known that she was looking at him, she thought, and unable to help herself, she felt her frown deepen.

"...do you really think they're all like that?"

If it weren't for how sharp her hearing was, she surely would not have heard him. Brows drawing together, she opened her mouth to make a sharp protest- before she forced herself to reel it back in. The last thing that she wanted was to start a fight with Keith, especially when what she really needed to give him was an apology.

She should not have confronted him the way she had, she realized that now.

And yet, she could not let that question go either.

"You must understand," Allura told him, "-that it was not only Zarkon who betrayed us."

Looking up at her, Keith's face became that of a mask. "Yeah, I get that. But just look at Ulaz- he sacrificed himself to save us. And even before that, he put himself at risk just to save Shiro."

"For all we know, it could be a ploy." Allura pointed out. "One life means nothing to Zarkon."

"Well yeah," Keith admitted, "-but doesn't it seem a little convoluted for a trap?"

Blinking, Allura's brow furrowed. "Go on."

"I mean... if it's true, and this whole thing is some kind of trap," Keith told her, "-then that means Zarkon himself gave the orders for the solar barrier to be lowered."

"Yes, true." Allura admitted.

"So why would he just let us go?" Keith asked. "If he had us right where he wanted us, why risk that for something way more complicated than just firing on the Castle of Lions?"

Opening her mouth, Allura quickly shut it. Now that he mentioned it, he _did_ actually present a good point. It _was_ a bit on the convoluted side, wasn't it? And while she did not put it past Zarkon to be clever- he would not have been able to conquer as much of the universe as he had if he did not possess such a good head for wartime strategy, but from what she knew of him, he was also rather pragmatic.

As much as she was loathe to admit it, Keith was right.

"Perhaps," Allura admitted, "-but perhaps all that means is that there is someone within Zarkon's ranks who does not hold true to his loyalties. I would not put it past him to use that to his advantage."

"True." Keith said. "But Shiro had to get to Earth somehow. And Ulaz mentioned the name of his group to him during his escape. How could Zarkon possibly have known?"

" _If_ what Shiro remembers is correct." Allura pointed out. "His Galra arm does leave him vulnerable to such tactics."

"If there was that kind of programming in it, don't you think Pidge would have found it by now?" Keith asked. "All I'm saying is, is that maybe not every Galra actually agrees with Zarkon."

For a long moment, all she could do was stare at him. The impression that she had gotten of Keith was one that was paranoid, _skittish_ , even- hearing him speak of trust seemed... out of character, almost.

But then, she did not know him very well.

"Perhaps not," Allura admitted, "-but how can we be certain that they do not simply seek power for themselves?"

For the span of a second, she could have sworn that something slipped past Keith's mask. It was too quick for her to place exactly what it was, but just the fact that it _had_ was worthy of note.

He opened his mouth again, but he did not get a chance to say whatever it was he wanted.

"Keith, Allura," Coran's voice cut in, "-are you there?"

* * *

In hindsight, he probably should have paid a bit more attention to Coran's tone.

But how was _he_ supposed to know that actually using the booster fuel would cause the pod to explode? Hunk and Coran had used the stuff to escape the Balmera the first time around, so why would now be any different?

Whatever the case, they were effectively stranded now. The force of the blast must have knocked out his radio- and Allura's earring communicators were too short range to be of any use.

Even worse, only _his_ suit had thrusters, which meant that not only did he have to support his own weight with them, but he also had to support Allura's. It made the slow trip back to the Castle of Lions that much slower.

There was just no way they would reach it in time.

Sure, yeah, he was relived to find out that Zarkon wasn't tracking him after all- but the knowledge would have been a lot more comforting if he had some kind of assurance that the other paladins were safe. Which, based of what he'd heard... no, they were not.

Coran said they needed them back as fast as possible, and he'd just blown up their only chance of doing that. Great. Just great.

Sure, there was always the chance that they could pull through without him- but Coran wouldn't have called him back with that much urgency if that were true.

"We never should have done this." Allura's voice was soft, but layered with guilt. "Shiro was right. We should have stuck together."

He was.

He hated to admit it, but he really was.

Closing his eyes, Keith tried to steady his thoughts. He couldn't let them get the better of him, not at a time like this. Right now, he had to focus on getting back to the Castle of Lions, as fast as possible.

Sure, he could make better time if he ditched Allura, but even _he_ wouldn't do something like that. Without any thrusters, she would simply drift in space, at the mercy of whatever came along. Even if they came back to get her, who knew if she would still be there when they did?

So no. Not an option.

Allura did not try to protest the silence, not this time.

Which was for the best. He'd definitely already said too much to her today. Being stuck in an enclosed space with Allura had been a terrible idea- he didn't think he'd said enough to make her suspect him, but he definitely hadn't done much to keep himself from being suspicious.

He tried to pick over his earlier conversation with her, wondering if he had said anything else wrong. His earlier slip with Trigel's name had been bad, but at least she had seemed to accept his explanation without so much as a second thought. He'd... probably have to bring it up to Coran, to make sure they were both on the same page, just in case, but he hopefully hadn't given her the impression that he knew more than he should.

Or that he was Galra.

He just... he had to do _something_.

Sure, he understood where Allura was coming from- but Ulaz had been right. If they wanted to make a change, then both the paladins of Voltron and the Blade of Marmora needed to work together.

And in order to do that, they needed trust.

He held the key to that.

Both to making it and _breaking_ it.

Whatever the case, he knew that _he_ had to be the one to tell the paladins the truth. If they found it out from someone who wasn't him, even if it were Kolivan... then he would break that trust, no matter what Shiro said. But if he was the one to tell them...

...well, he'd still break that trust, but maybe it would have a chance to recover.

He had to do it.

"Keith, look," opening his eyes, he couldn't help but note the _awe_ in Allura's voice, "-the red lion found you."

Gaze fixing on it, he felt something deep within him stir, the red lion's low rumble all but filling his thoughts.

 _Paladin_ , she said, _trust_.

Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes once more, letting the red lion's energy wash through him.

Okay.


	11. mall

It's time... space mall time, at least! This chapter was super fun to write, as to be expected. Definitely a lot easier than the last chapter was, at any rate! Read on for more of Keith's disguising eating habits and also his criminal lifestyle, exposed. Putting those Blade of Marmora skills to work!

Until next time~!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter eleven**

 **mall**

* * *

Several things went through Shiro's mind as he watched the red lion dock, but chief among them was that he and Keith clearly needed to talk.

He hadn't even known that Keith was worried there was a chance that Zarkon might be tracking him. It made _some_ sense, he guessed- he'd be the one to fight him back when they'd rescued Allura, but beyond that, he couldn't even begin to guess why. He was sure Keith had a reason for it, one that made perfect sense to him, but what that reason could be, he couldn't even guess.

He was just glad that he was wrong.

Even if it _did_ mean that Zarkon was tracking them through the black lion after all. That was something he would have to deal with, but right now the more pressing concern was Keith. There was the matter of Allura too, but he'd leave that one to Coran.

Besides, he wanted to talk to Keith in private, away from prying ears. His best chance to do that was while he was changing out of his paladin armor, before they all reconvened on the bridge.

"Any chance we could talk?"

He hadn't realized it until Keith flinched at the question, but in hindsight, he realized that what he'd done was basically corner him. Though it hadn't been intentional, he guessed that didn't so much matter at this point.

"Sure," Keith didn't quite look at him, instead shaking out his hair, now free of his helmet, "-we can talk."

Frowning, Shiro leaned back against the wall, watching as Keith steadily removed pieces of his armor. The chest plate came off first, but not before he pulled his knife from it, followed shortly by his gauntlets- including the one that Coran had to repair. He guessed it had to do something with the bandage on his right hand, but he hadn't asked.

"You know," Shiro began, "-you could have always come and talked to me."

Glancing back towards him, Keith's expression was blank. "Didn't have the chance."

Heaving a sigh, Shiro felt his shoulders slump. "Look Keith, I'm not saying that what you did was entirely wrong. Maybe not the _best_ idea, but I know you were just thinking of the team."

That gave him some pause, Keith's brow furrowing. "I wasn't doing it just for the team."

Lifting his brows, Shiro studied him. "I'm guessing by that you mean the Blade of Marmora."

Nodding his head, Keith peeled off the underlayer of his armor, exposing the t-shirt he wore underneath. He was readily familiar with the scars that lined his arms, but knowing where they came from now put them in a whole new context.

Before coming to Earth, Keith had lived a lifetime of war. No small wonder he had been on his guard at all times, even back at the Garrison.

Hunk's theory hadn't been wrong, not exactly- except for the part where he'd never left the war behind him. He was still fighting it, just in a different way than he had before.

"If Zarkon was tracking me," Keith began, "-it's not just the team I could put at risk. It's-"

He stopped himself short, brow crinkling, like he'd thought better about what he was going to say. "I can't risk exposing the Blade. Between you and Coran, I've-"

"Wait." He didn't mean to cut Keith off, but he couldn't stop himself. "Coran?"

Chewing on his lip, Keith seemed to wince. "He ah, knows. About me."

Arching his brows, Shiro felt himself frown. That was the first he'd heard about this- he'd have never guessed it from the way Coran acted. "For how long?"

"Since the Balmera?" Keith told him.

Ah. Yeah, that made sense. They had left Keith in his care back then. In hindsight, maybe not the best choice- but he hadn't known back then what he knew about him now. Though based off the fact that Keith's secret was still, well, a secret, he was going to assume that things had turned out okay in the end.

"Anyone else who might know?" Shiro asked.

Shaking his head, Keith frowned. "No. No one."

"I'm sensing a but."

"I think," brows furrowing, Keith did his best to avert his gaze, busying himself with removing the rest of his armor, "-I think maybe you're right."

"That's specific." Shiro observed.

Keith shot him a glare, to which he merely shrugged his shoulders. Sensing that he was going to make him come out and say it, he heaved a long sigh, grabbing his boots and yanking them back on. "About telling the truth."

He'd kind of suspected it was that, yeah. Still, nice to have him come out and say it.

"You're sure?" Shiro asked. "Because while I think it would be a good idea, I also don't want to put pressure on you."

"Honestly?" Back to chewing on his lip, Keith frowned. "I'm not sure. I mean, I was earlier, but I've had some time to cool off since then. But I think- I think if we want to make this alliance work, then we need to be honest with each other. _I_ need to be honest."

Nodding his head, Shiro didn't fight the urge to smile, feeling a bud of pride in his chest. Secret alien or not, Keith was still the kid he'd mentored for a year and a half, so he was proud he was even thinking about taking such a big step.

"What does Kolivan think about this?" Shiro asked.

"I uh, haven't told him yet." Keith admitted. "Actually, I kind of... haven't told him about you yet, either. He knows about Coran, so I kind of just figured that... look, in my defense, I wasn't exactly _trained_ for deep cover missions."

"Hey," holding up his hands, Shiro fought the urge to chuckle, finding something vaguely endearing in the way he was so quick to defend himself, "-you don't need to defend your skills to me. But you _probably_ should tell him."

Looking unconvinced, Keith grabbed his belt, hooking it around his waist, before he sheathed his knife back behind him. It was only then that he took notice of the fact that Keith's right hand wasn't currently bandaged- and based on the way Keith quickly concealed it from view, he was guessing he'd only just realized that himself.

Was that... was that _purple_?

"...druid." Keith muttered, as if that somehow explained everything. He knew what one was, of course- they had always been in Haggar's company, so even with his patchy memory, he still sort of remembered what they were. "I'm fine, just... not something I thought people should see."

Ah. Well, he'd suspected for awhile now that Keith was masking his true appearance somehow, but it looked like he was right on the money. Guess he really _was_ purple.

"So you're...?"

Chancing a look up at him, Keith frowned. "Yeah."

"Huh." Blinking, he felt himself frown. "I didn't even know Galra could do that."

"They can't." Keith told him. "Just- I'm using something. That's why I'm, you know..."

"...human?" Shiro finished, to which Keith quickly nodded. "Huh. Guess that explains that."

Keith arched his brows at that. "You're taking this well."

"I mean, you already told me you were Galra." Shiro said with a shrug. "I just kind of assumed you were hiding it somehow. Either that, or you were part human."

Keith seemed to grimace. "No offense, but I'll take being Galra over being human any day. I _really_ don't understand how you managed to become the dominant species on your planet."

"We're just really good at not dying, I think." Shiro told him.

He meant it as a joke, but Keith actually seemed to _consider_ it. He wondered if this was just a Galra thing, or if Allura and Coran thought of them that way too. "Hm. Guess that's fair."

Unable to help himself, Shiro let out a snort, causing to Keith to blink, clearly baffled by what had brought it on. "Come on," Shiro said, "-we should probably join the others on the bridge. We need to talk about our next plan of action."

Keith almost looked like he wanted to say something, but instead gave him a curt nod of his head. "Yeah, okay. Just let me get some bandages first."

Arching a brow, Shiro glanced back at him. "Still hiding it?"

"For now, at least." Keith told him. "Just want some time to figure out what I'm going to say, that's all. Also, you're right, I probably should tell Kolivan first."

"You know if you need someone to run it by..."

"...I can talk to you?" Keith finished.

"Now you're starting to get it."

* * *

As soon as the words _Unilu swap moon_ left Coran's mouth, he had to bite back the urge to chime in. It wasn't that he thought Coran's idea was _bad_ , just... he was pretty sure that things had changed in the past ten thousand years.

In fact, based off the pictures Coran showed them, he knew for a fact that things had _definitely_ changed.

But that was just yet another thing he couldn't give voice to without blowing his cover, and there wasn't exactly a chance to pull Coran aside and warn him. Besides, if he was going to be honest, part of him almost wanted to see his reaction to just how much things had changed from how they were back in the day.

Plus, the other paladins realizing that they had disguised themselves for nothing? Yeah, okay. That was funny. He'd admit it.

"If I'd known this place was just going to be the space equivalent of a _mall_ , I wouldn't have even bothered changing." Pidge quipped, already shedding parts of her disguise.

"Yeah, Keith had the right idea." Lance said. "I mean, for once."

Frowning, Keith glowered at the blue paladin. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know _exactly_ what I mean by that." Lance shot back.

"Guys, let's not fight." Hunk interjected. "You heard Coran. We only have a varga."

"Yeah, we need to find those lenses, or we're as good as dead in the water." Pidge added. "Does anyone have any idea where to start looking?"

"...we could try checking the map?" Keith suggested, motioning towards it with his head.

"Which would be a great idea, if any of us could _read_ that alien gibberish." Lance pointed out. "But we can't, so yeah, not happening."

Oh, right. He'd nearly forgotten none of them could read Common.

"Yeah," Keith frowned, "-guess we should just split up, like Coran said."

That said, he didn't exactly have any idea either. The last time he'd been here, it was when he was thirteen cycles old, right before his mother had left on her deep cover mission. There had still been an Unilu swap shop left open back then, but he had no idea if that held true now.

Or even where it was.

He hadn't exactly been paying attention. It wasn't like it had been a _mission_ or anything. He'd just tagged along with Regris, who wanted to try his luck at getting some parts for some kind of project he'd been working on.

(It wasn't like they _never_ had downtime.)

Guess he could just look around till he found it.

...actually, come to think of it, none of them had any money, did they? He didn't think they had anything of value worth trading either so... huh. Guess first things first, he'd better find some.

* * *

"Your show was absolutely wonderful, friends!"

Clapping her hands, Allura beamed with glee, watching as the mice each took a bow. After the show they had put on, they had more than earned it- though she did wonder when they had learned to put on music and change the lights like that.

They were clever, she knew, so it didn't truly surprise her.

"Now," she began, peering down at them, "-I do not suppose you have picked up any new secrets, have you?"

The mice were more than ready to provide. Perhaps her love for gossip was not exactly the most _regal_ of qualities, but she could not deny her own curious streak. Though she had grown quite close to the paladins- or well, most of them, she noted, her thoughts briefly drifting towards Keith- it was still not quite the same as it had once been.

Besides, being left alone on the Castle like this was _dreadfully_ boring. She had to entertain herself _somehow_.

All she had wanted to do was go and buy something sparkly for herself, but she supposed Coran was right. She _did_ need to rest.

Letting out a faint laugh as she listened to the mice, Allura felt herself smile. "Pidge did what? Well that certainly explains her appearance at dinner the other day. I _had_ been wondering about that. And yes, that sounds very much like Lance."

Come to think of it, the mice never told her anything about Keith. She knew he could be elusive, but the mice could go to parts of the ship none of them could access, so surely they must run into him from time to time.

"What about Keith?" She asked. "Do you know any of his secrets?"

She didn't actually know if he _had_ secrets, or if he were merely mysterious as per his nature, but either way, she could not deny her curiosity. Especially since it seemed that he was closer to Coran than she would have guessed, seeing as he'd apparently asked him about the paladins of old at some point.

While he seemed to have made that explanation in haste, she'd no reason to doubt it. After all, it wasn't as if she'd asked Coran _not_ to say anything. And Keith _had_ been the one to face Zarkon, and therefore, the first one to put two and two together and realize that he was the former black paladin- so if anything, it made perfect sense why he would be curious.

If anything, she wondered why the rest of the paladins _weren't_.

For a second, all the mice did was look at each other. Perhaps Keith really was as elusive to them as he was to the rest of them. An impressive feat, to be sure.

But apparently, one of the mice did, in fact, have something to say.

"Wait," brows drawing together, for a moment, Allura wasn't sure she'd heard it right, "-Keith's hand is _what_?"

* * *

"...hunk, what are you doing?"

Oh man, was he ever glad to hear that voice. Sure, it could stand to be a little less incredulous, but- no yeah, he got it. He did. They had come here for scaultrite lenses, and here he was, chained up to a dishwasher in the food court.

So yeah. Maybe his tone actually wasn't incredulous _enough_.

...actually, what was _Keith_ doing in the food court?

"Keith, oh thank god," Hunk pleaded, grateful that Sal had stepped into the back for the moment, "-you _have_ to get me out of here."

Keith, bless his heart, just tilted his head, staring at him blankly. He leaned a bit against the counter, staring down at the cuff around Hunk's leg, then back up at him, arching his brows. "...did you get caught by a food court employee?"

" _Yes_ , I got caught by a food court employee." Hunk stated bluntly. "Look, I thought it was a free sample, I didn't-"

It was then that he took notice that Keith seemed to be drinking something. Something, that even from the distance, looked absolutely _repulsive_. Which, granted, was pretty par for the course for Keith, given you know, his fondness for Garrison ration bars and the fact that he'd nearly eaten Coran's paladin lunch, but whatever he had in his hand was like... beyond that.

"...uh, what'cha got there buddy?" He asked, getting the feeling he was going to regret it.

"Meat." Keith told him.

"Meat." Hunk repeated. "You're drinking _meat_."

He couldn't for the life of him if it was audacity or obviousness that prompted Keith to take a sip of the thing right in front of him. "And various organs."

For a moment, his own situation completely forgotten, Hunk could only just stare at him. And here he thought he'd been making _progress_.

But no. Here he was, drinking a _meat shake_.

"Keith," deciding not to beat around the bush, oh no, not now, not while his friend was _drinking meat_ , "-that's disgusting."

Keith just shrugged. "Tastes good."

Wow. That was. No amount of traumatic back story would _ever_ suffice to explain just what was wrong with Keith's taste buds, because clearly, something had to be _seriously_ wrong with them.

"So," arching a brow, Keith tilted his head, "-you want me to break you out or not?"

Putting aside the matter of Keith's terrible eating habits, Hunk just glanced down at his cuffs, wiggling his foot a little. "...yes, please."

Frowning, Keith set down his meat shake, before leaping over the counter without another word. Pulling out his knife- never thought he would be thankful for his habit of just carrying it everywhere- he severed the cuffs, before glancing over towards the other alien Sal had caught. "...so, should I free her too?"

That knife could _really_ cut, huh. "Yes."

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith severed her cuffs too, before sheathing the knife. Which, he was gonna be honest- grateful as he was that he carried it around with him, he couldn't help but have bad memories of that thing, considering, yanno, the time he'd tried to kill him and all.

But hey, he wouldn't hold it against him- he'd been half asleep at the time, so it wasn't like he'd tried to kill _him_ , specifically. But man, did he ever not want to get on Keith's bad side. If that was what he could do in his sleep, he didn't even want to know what he could do when he was awake.

Except he kind of did, sort of. Guess when you spent your childhood fighting for your life, you just sort of naturally got good at it.

...and that was a grim thought. His hugs couldn't cure that.

"Come on," Keith began, hopping back over the counter with that effortless grace of his, "-let's go find Lance and Pidge."

He did not, by the way, fail to notice that Keith had picked up his horrible meat shake again on the way out.

...actually, come to think of it, where the heck had Keith even gotten _money_ for that thing?

* * *

"...why is Lance soaking wet?

"Yeah, and is that a cow?"

Both fair questions, Lance would admit. That said, he had one of his own. "Why is Hunk wearing an apron?"

"Yeah, and what the heck is Keith even _drinking_?" Pidge chimed in.

"Ugh trust me, you don't want to know." Hunk told her, scrunching up his nose- and frankly, he'd just take his word for it. "But seriously, a cow?"

"It was free with purchase." Lance said with a shrug.

"So did you find the scaultrite lenses?" Keith asked, tilting his head, apparently just putting aside the question of the cow.

Oh. Right. Scaultrite. Yep, he knew he'd forgotten something. "Uh well, not exactly?"

"Is that a Mercury Gameflux 2?" Hunk asked.

"Yep!" Presenting her prize with absolutely no shame about how off task they had gotten, Pidge beamed. " _With_ the original power glove."

"Not to mention a copy of Killbot Phantasm 1." Lance added- and hey, if Pidge wasn't going to be ashamed about it, why should he?

Keith just stared at them blankly, because of course he did. He'd make a comment about him growing up under a rock, but he guessed growing up in a war zone or whatever would like, have the same basic effect.

"It's a video game." Pidge supplied. "Plus a console to play it on."

"Wait, so it's Earth tech?" Keith asked, sounding confused. "Where did you even _find_ stuff from Earth out here?"

"At the Earth store." Pidge supplied.

"...there's an Earth store." Keith deadpanned.

"Uh, yeah, is there like an echo in here or something?" Lance asked.

"Honestly, I'm more concerned about the cow." Hunk admitted. "Also where did you even get the money from for that thing? Cause last I checked, we had like, _none_."

"Turns out tossing money into mall fountains is universal." Pidge said.

"Huh," Hunk frowned, "-well I guess that explains why Lance is wet."

"What did you think I did, took a bath in the fountain?" Lance asked. "Also, if we're talking about money, shouldn't you ask where Keith got the money for... whatever that thing is?"

Seriously, what _was_ that stuff? It looked like brown sludge.

"I thought we might need money for the scaultrite lenses," Keith stated simply, taking a sip of his mystery drink, "-so I found an off duty imperial officer and stole their wallet."

 _What._

"Keith!" Hunk gasped, frantically glancing around as if he expected mall security to emerge at any moment. "You can't just steal someone's wallet!"

Keith just frowned. "Lance and Pidge took money out of the fountain."

"Yeah, that people threw away!" Lance protested. "We're not- where did you even learn to pickpocket!?"

Oh wait. War orphan. Actually, yeah, that kind of made sense.

"...am I the only one _not_ surprised by the fact that Keith stole someone's wallet?" Pidge chimed in. "I mean, how do you guys _think_ he got money while he was living in the desert?"

"I don't know, a part time job?" Lance frowned.

"Right, because I can totally imagine Keith working as a cashier." Pidge noted dryly.

Which. Fair. He couldn't imagine that either.

"You know I'm standing right here, right?" Keith asked, before glancing away in what was the world's most obvious tell. "...though you're not exactly wrong."

"Keith," Hunk began, "-I won't judge you for stealing the wallet, or _wallets_ , I guess, since you were apparently doing that back on Earth too? But you gotta put it back, man. Or like, at least bring it to the lost and found. _Is_ there a lost and found here? There's gotta be a lost and found here."

"We don't have the time," Keith observed, "-pretty sure we're supposed to be meeting Coran in five doboshes."

"Oh come on, it can't be that-" Cutting himself off, Lance's brows knit together, checking the time, "-oh, huh. It really _has_ been that long."

"Guess we should get going then." Pidge frowned. "I sure hope Coran had more luck then we did. I don't even think there _are_ any of those swap shops left around here."

"...so we're just going to ignore Keith's theft then." Hunk noted. "Right, okay, I get it. But just for the record, I'm telling Shiro."

Keith just shrugged, the threat rolling off of him like... well, like it wasn't actually a threat.

Ugh, sometimes he _seriously_ didn't get this guy.

* * *

She knew she was staring, but she simply could not help it. Not after what the mice had told her.

She had known for awhile now that Keith had injured his hand during their raid on the Galran transportation hub, but she'd never really gotten the specifics of it. All she knew was that Coran had needed to replace the right gauntlet on his paladin armor, and that the bandages had been lingering for far longer than she'd expected them too.

Each of those factors would suggest that perhaps his injury was more serious than he was letting on, but Keith never showed it. She had just spent five vargas with him, alone in a pod, so she felt confident that if it bothered him, she would have noticed.

Therefore, he must be wearing the bandage to hide something else.

Like his hand being purple.

That was, if what the mice had told her was true. And she had no reason to doubt it, or them.

She did have reasons to doubt _Keith_.

Not that she particularly _liked_ the idea of it. Keith was a paladin of Voltron, chosen by her father's lion, nonetheless. If anything, she wanted to _trust_ him. It was just... he made it rather difficult at times.

But while she did not consider herself an expert on human physiology, she was quite certain that they did not burn _purple_.

It probably would not have bothered her half as much were it not for the fact that she knew he'd fought one of those strange beings that had been in the company of Zarkon's witch. Shiro had called them _druids_ , and it was clear that they were capable of using magic.

 _Dark_ magic.

If Keith had somehow been affected by that...

No. She would not think that. Perhaps- perhaps the mice had been wrong. Perhaps there was some other explanation for Keith's hand being purple.

Perhaps not.

Reflecting back on it, he _did_ seem rather eager to defend the Blade of Marmora, but surely- no. She would not allow herself to think such things. Keith was a paladin- what she _should_ be doing was placing her faith in him, as one of the defenders of the universe.

At the very least, Shiro had managed to deepen his bond with the black lion. Not to mention the fact that Coran had been able to find some scaultrite lenses, which meant they would be able to get the teleduv back up and running.

(Lance had found a creature called a _cow_ , which was... bizarre, to say the least. At least she'd finally been able to find a use for the holodeck.)

Once Coran fixed up the teleduv, they would be heading to this _Blade of Marmora_ base they had been given the coordinates for.

She was... unsure how to feel about that. Current doubts aside, what Keith had told her back in the pod did have merit- for a trap, it was awfully convoluted. Perhaps he was correct- perhaps she really could trust this Blade of Marmora.

But it still bothered her that there had been one caught sneaking around on her ship. Who knew what they could have done while they were there? Perhaps their intention to take down Zarkon was genuine, but what about after that?

With a slight frown, Allura watched as Keith exchanged a few brief words with Shiro, before excusing himself. Her gaze trailed after him, watching him as he left the bridge, unable to help but wonder just where it was he was going.

* * *

He felt himself exhale almost as soon as he left the bridge.

He was pretty sure Allura had been staring at him. He didn't know why- she hadn't been doing it before they had left for the swap moon, so he'd just assumed that things were fine between them. It was only after they got back that she'd started.

Frowning, he rubbed his right hand, glancing down at it. He really _did_ need to tell everyone, before they got to the base- but first things first, he needed to contact Kolivan. Shiro was probably right- he probably _should_ tell him that he'd blown his cover.

Again.

He definitely needed to tell him that they were on their way there. Like it or not, the alliance sounded like it was going to happen- at least, from their end.

Kolivan might have different feelings on the matter.

The red lion almost seemed to be waiting for him when he arrived. Giving it a small smile, he quickly made his way to the cockpit, curling up in the pilot's chair. He'd been in all the other lions except for the black lion, but being in Red was like nothing else.

It just felt _right_.

Digging out his transmitter, Keith put out a call to Kolivan, one that was quickly picked up.

"Kyix," Kolivan began, "-I did not expect your next transmission so soon."

"Yeah, well, a lot of things have happened." Keith told him. "We figured out how Zarkon was tracking us, for one."

"I take it that it is no longer a problem." Kolivan said.

"At least, I hope not?" Keith frowned. "He was using the black lion, and Shiro seems to have deepened his connection with it, so I'm pretty sure that takes care of that."

"But you are not one hundred percent certain." Kolivan observed.

"Maybe like ninety percent?" Keith ventured. "I don't know. The black lion is the one lion I _haven't_ been in, so I don't have a real strong feeling for how it operates."

Kolivan seemed to accept that, giving him a curt nod of his head. "I take it there is yet more news."

Chewing on his lip, Keith nodded again. "We're heading towards the base."

He could have sworn that Kolivan's expression darkened. "I take it the black paladin intends to try and forge an alliance with us."

"He's pretty serious about it." Keith told him. "And he kind of ah... knows. About me."

He knew Kolivan could be stern, but at the moment, he just looked downright _disapproving_. "Kyix-"

"I know, I messed up." Keith cut him off. "I won't deny that. But look- if we're going to work together with the paladins, they _have_ to know the truth. We can't just keep pretending that I'm something- _someone_ \- that I'm not."

He could only feel the weight of Kolivan's unblinking stare, fighting the urge to shift nervously in his seat. If this were a battlefield, not much would faze him, but it wasn't. Sure, it wouldn't exactly be the first time he'd done something to displease Kolivan- it wasn't even the first time he defied one of his direct orders.

But this was... this was different.

Because he knew what it had to look like- him being influenced by an outside force. He'd been trying not to think about it, but it was almost _exactly_ like what happened with his father. Just because he was being influenced by the right side didn't change that fact.

Even if comparing Lotor and Shiro did make him sick.

(Come to think of it, did the princess even know about Lotor?)

But whatever the case, he was still loyal to the Blade of Marmora. So if Kolivan told him to hold his tongue, then he would. He couldn't- _wouldn't_ \- betray them.

He just hoped Shiro would understand that. He'd... kind of rather avoid telling him, and the rest of the team, about his father. It wouldn't exactly reflect well on him.

(The son of a traitor never sounded good, no matter what the context.)

"Very well."

For a second, he could have sworn that he hadn't heard Kolivan right.

"I will leave the decision on the matter up to you, Kyix." Kolivan merely stated.

"...so the alliance?" Keith ventured.

"It's being considered." Kolivan told him- and he got the feeling that was all he was going to get out of him. Still, just the fact that he was actually taking it in consideration was a huge step forward, compared to where he was on the subject not even all that long ago.

Freeing Olkarion and the Balmera, saving the Taujeerians, all must have reflected positively on the paladins. Not to mention, that with the lone exception of Shiro, they had _all_ awoken hidden powers within their lions.

(It wasn't even fair to hold Shiro as the exception. The only reason he _couldn't_ was because he lacked the black bayard.)

It was still kind of weird to think all of that also pertained to _him_. He could think of himself as a paladin in the vaguest sense, but probably not in the same way the others thought of themselves as one. He still wasn't some kind of a _hero_ , not like the others were.

He was just a solider, that's all.

It wasn't like he thought less of himself, it was just... he'd spent so long in the shadows, that it was _weird_ to be at the front and center like this. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to it.

But maybe that was a good thing. It meant he could do things the others couldn't. _Shouldn't_ , even.

Swallowing, Keith just nodded his head. "Okay. Right- I'll tell them, then."

Just saying that made his right hand itch like crazy. He knew it was just his nerves- in spite of Shiro's reassurances, he knew that this had the potential to turn out very badly for him. But the last thing he wanted was for it to be revealed _for_ him.

Not for a third time.

"Kyix," something in Kolivan's tone helped quell his nerves, a faint smile on the otherwise stern Galra's face, "-we look forward to your homecoming."

In spite of everything, he felt something in him soften at that statement. _Home_. He'd be going _home_.

...actually, wait a tick.

"... _we_?"

He could have sworn there was a faint trace of amusement in Kolivan's eyes as the screen shifted on his end- revealing Antok's unmasked, _very_ amused face. "Youngling."

Keith, to his credit, merely stared blankly at the screen, wondering just how long he'd been there. For all he knew, he'd been there from the start. "Antok."

"Still as small as ever, I see." Antok remarked. "Did you grow at all while you were absent?"

Growling, Keith's brow furrowed. No, he hadn't. Nevermind the fact that nearly _everyone_ was short when compared to Antok. "It's just the device getting in the way."

"If you insist, youngling." Antok told him, a certain humor in his voice.

Speaking of which...

"So, any chance I can get it taken out?" Keith asked, trying not to sound _too_ hopeful. He wouldn't want to risk his chances.

The screen turned back to Kolivan at his question. "We will consider it."

Ugh. He didn't like that answer. He knew full well that even _if_ the paladins knew the truth, there were still plenty of reasons to keep his true form hidden. He didn't like it, but there were.

Maybe- _maybe_ \- the team would accept him as Galra. He just didn't know how the rest of the universe would feel about that. There was a _reason_ that the Blade of Marmora stayed hidden, and it wasn't just because of Zarkon.

"Understood." Keith said. "I should get back to the bridge."

"Understood." Kolivan replied. "We will see you soon, Kyix."

And at that, he couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. Looking forward to it."

He really, really was.

 _Home_.


	12. blade

It is time. At long last, the big reveal is here! I had sort of hoped to get to them actually getting into the base this chapter, but I decided with how things worked out to save that for the next chapter- we'll be sticking around with the Blade of Marmora for awhile to come! Also, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow! So probably sporadic updates through the next week, if I update at all. No promises!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter twelve**

 **blade**

* * *

He'd gotten more used to the paladin armor than he'd thought.

It was still clunky in his eyes, but no longer in a way that was cumbersome. He still felt out of place wearing it, but it wasn't as bad as it had been before.

Still, nothing compared to his Marmoran armor.

Breathing out, Keith pulled up his hood. He hadn't had a chance to wear it since Sendak's invasion of the Castle. Even under the circumstances, it still felt like a little piece of home, almost like a second skin, really. It was bracing.

But he couldn't deny that he wasn't still tense.

Pulling out his knife, he studied his reflection in its blade. He hadn't activated his mask yet, so it was strange to see his human face reflected back at him while clad in his armor. He hadn't had many chances to wear it back on Earth- nothing he'd done had ever really required it, it being too suspicious for any infiltration he'd done around the Garrison.

He got the feeling he'd be wearing it a lot more from here on out.

Closing his eyes, Keith let out a long sigh. Slowly opening them again, he sheathed his knife, steeling himself. They were drawing close to the main base, and he needed to be there when they did. With Kolivan knowing that they were coming, they probably wouldn't have any major issues gaining access to the base, but the whole thing would probably go over a lot smoother if he was there to give them his identification number.

It was also a pretty good way to announce that he was a Blade.

Taking one last look at the quarters he had been given as a paladin, Keith frowned. He'd never bothered personalizing it, not as the other paladins had begun to. It was closer to it than Earth, but it still wasn't home.

Probably for the best. In spite of Shiro's reassurances, he knew there was still a chance that he might be removed from his position as the red paladin. He had, after all, lied to and deceived all of them, even if it hadn't been his original intent when he'd first boarded the blue lion.

Then again... even _if_ Kolivan hadn't told him to act as a spy, he still probably wouldn't have come out with it. Admitting that he was Galra? Why would he do something as stupid as that?

Unable to help himself, he let out a snort. Guess he was pretty stupid after all.

Letting out a short breath, he activated his mask before he could hesitate any further. Pressing his hand against the door panel, he strode out into the hall, prepared for the worst.

No turning back.

* * *

"Is... that a black hole?"

"No, no, no, no, no." Coran said. "It's _two_ black holes. And a giant blue star."

"That's not better."

Yeah... he'd have to go with Hunk on this one.

Still, if this was what Keith had to deal with just to leave their base, suddenly, his skills as a pilot made a lot more sense. He'd assumed it was just because he was an alien, but no- guess it was because his home was sandwiched between two deadly celestial objects, and set just in front of another.

Looking up, he glanced behind him. Keith had told him that he was going to go and contact his leader, but he still hadn't come back. He knew that he'd planned to tell him that he was going to reveal his position as a Blade of Marmora spy, and he couldn't help but worry that he was getting a hard time about it.

It wasn't like he didn't understand, as much as he agreed with Keith. Maybe he'd never met this _Kolivan_ , but he could sort of see where he might be coming from- secrecy probably was the only thing that had kept the Blade of Marmora alive for this long.

And now they were about to blow that secrecy wide open.

So yeah. He could understand the reluctance.

He didn't have long to dwell on Keith's absence, before a low, electronic beep caught his attention. Facing forward, he felt his brows furrow at the Galran script that popped up on the castle-ship's screens. He might have been imprisoned by the Galra Empire for a year, but that didn't mean he could understand their writing.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"Identify yourselves."

Straightening his back, Shiro's face set itself in a stern expression. Even if they knew they were coming, he still should have expected something like this. "Open a hailing frequency, Coran."

Watching out of the corner of his eye as the Altean man quickly complied, he couldn't help but let his thoughts briefly drift to what Keith had told him. Namely, the fact that Coran knew, and had for some time now.

He hadn't gotten the chance to talk to him about it- things had come together too quickly. He still meant to, but he didn't know when he'd get the opportunity.

Opening his mouth to answer, he instead found himself cut off by a familiar, if not slightly distorted, voice.

"Identification code X-381, requesting permission to return to base."

 _Keith_.

Turning on his heel, he half expected his eyes to land on a familiar face. Instead, they fell on a mask, much like the one Ulaz had worn. He barely even registered the resounding wave of shock, too focused on the tension that he could make out in the way Keith held himself.

"Permission granted." The automated voice remained impassive to the situation. "Welcome home, Kyix."

For a long moment, nobody could move, stunned into speechlessness. He didn't know if it was because they had recognized the same thing he had- that the masked Blade on their bridge was Keith, or if it was just _because_ there was a masked Blade on their bridge.

Allura recovered first.

"What," her voice was cold, like ice, "-are you doing on the bridge of _my_ ship?"

"That's him," he could hear Pidge faintly mutter, to no one in particular, "-that's the unknown."

Opening his mouth to say something, Keith caught his eye, shaking his head. Shutting his mouth, he instead forced himself to hang back. This was Keith's secret to tell, not his.

"Getting you access to the base." Keith stated flatly.

"I can see that, but-"

Cutting herself off, Allura's eyes narrowed. Though it seemed she was loathe to take her eyes off of the Blade, she nevertheless let her gaze sweep over the bridge. By the time she turned back towards Keith, her lips were set in a tight frown.

She'd noticed.

And she wasn't the only one, either.

"Wait," Lance's brow furrowed, "-where's Keith?"

Lowering his hood, the Blade's mask flickered, familiar violet eyes revealing themselves. He didn't miss the way that Allura went rigid- and so did everyone else, for that matter.

"...keith?"

He wasn't sure if Hunk meant for that to come out as a whisper, if at all, but it did. The only reason they all heard it was because the bridge was so quiet, they'd be able to hear a pin drop.

The faint smile Keith directed towards him wasn't exactly one of happiness. "Hey Hunk."

"Wait," Lance began, for once sounding uncertain, "-you're? But that's- I thought- _how_!?"

"Yes," he didn't even think it was possible for Allura's voice to get even colder, but somehow, it did, "-I would love to know how as well."

"We can talk about me later." Keith said. "The path to the base is only going to be open for another varga. After it closes, there won't be another clear path for two quintants."

"Right," as expected from someone who already knew the truth, Coran's recovery time was impressive, "-in that case, we should get a move on."

"Coran's right." Shiro said. "We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to get to that base while we still can."

Narrowing her eyes, it was clear that Allura was not the least bit pleased. "Very well. But if you think for one tick that you are going to get out of this, then-"

"Believe me when I say I'd love to avoid this conversation," Keith admitted, "-but I don't plan on running away."

Holding Keith's gaze for a moment longer, Allura forced herself to tear her eyes away. Resting her hands on the pillars she used to pilot the Castle, she remained tense. "Take us in, Coran. Slow and steady."

"Yes, princess."

* * *

Be grateful for small mercies.

That had practically been Cantor's pet phrase, while she was still alive. In a universe that was steadily crumbling under the weight of a ten thousand year old empire, it paid to try and see the positive in any situation- no matter how small. Positive thinking was not always his strongest suit, but it wasn't like he didn't get it.

Right now, he was just grateful that he was standing behind everyone, so that he didn't have to feel their stares on him. The faint glances that they would direct back towards him were bad enough as it was- he didn't know if he'd be able to handle being openly gawked at without snapping.

The only one who didn't look back was Allura.

She was tense. They _all_ were. Even Shiro and Coran were, and they had already known that he was Galra, that he was with the Blade of Marmora. Granted, in Coran's case, it was probably just because he had the task of navigating the Castle on the path that the Blades had sent to them, but still. Tense.

It wasn't like he was the exception. He tried not to look it, keeping his arms crossed in front of him, wearing a mask of impassivity, if not his actual mask. He couldn't even recall the last time he had been this tense. Maybe just before he'd undergone his trials?

Yeah, that sounded right.

He'd be lying if he said he hadn't expected things to turn out like this. Heck, he was just glad Allura hadn't decided to shoot him out of the airlock right then and there.

So yeah- all things considered, this was actually going pretty well.

In the back of his head, he could hear the red lion rumble. _Faith_.

There was no way to dock the Castle of Lions at the base. The two were probably roughly the same size, so the last leg of the journey would have to be made using something else. He already knew that, and the others soon recognized this.

"We'll need another ship to bring us in closer." Shiro remarked, probably half to himself, before turning on his heel, looking back towards him. "Keith? Do you think you could take us in?"

Allura stiffened at the suggestion, picking up on the implications. He watched as the knowledge that he was piloting her father's lion flashed through her eyes. "Absolutely not."

"The red lion is the best choice." Shiro stated. "It's the only one that can fully withstand the heat of that sun."

Narrowing her eyes, Allura considered her options. "Fine. But not before we get an explanation."

"I, for one, would very much like an explanation." Hunk agreed.

"Ditto." Pidge said.

"Yeah, same here." Lance said. "Like, why did the automated computer lady call you _Kyix_?"

Unable to stop himself, he stared at Lance incredulously. Did he really not get it? "Because that's my name?"

"Kyix a Galra name." Allura noted. "I suppose the mice were not simply seeing things then, when they said your right hand was purple."

"Wait, his right hand is _what_?" Pidge asked.

"Guys, one at a time." Shiro interjected. "Give him a chance to actually _explain_."

Though he shot him a grateful smile, Keith didn't miss the way Allura turned towards Shiro, her brow furrowing. "And why are _you_ so calm about all of this?"

Shiro didn't drop his gaze. "Because I already knew."

"Wha- you _knew_!?" Lance sputtered.

"For the record," lifting a hand, Coran looked a bit sheepish, "-I actually knew as well."

He could have sworn that Coran had just confessed to high treason, based on nothing else but the way Allura reacted to his confession. "You- Coran, you _knew_ about this? For how long?"

"Since the Balmera, actually." Coran confessed.

"Since the Balmera." Allura repeated. "And you did not think to tell me that we had a Galra _spy_ on board."

The words stung, but she wasn't exactly wrong, either.

"It wasn't my secret to tell." Coran told her. "And besides- he's not so bad, Number Four. The red lion would have never accepted him otherwise."

"Wait, hold up," Lance cut in, "-are you- are we saying that Keith is _Galra_ now?"

"Kyix." Hunk meekly corrected.

"...right. Are we saying that _Kyix_ ," and did he _really_ need to stress his name that way, "-is Galra now?"

"For the record, I never said anything about being human." Keith stated.

"Well yeah, but we just kind of assumed that was _implied_." Pidge stated, looking like she was still trying to work out the logistics of the situation. "You know, what with the whole you being a student at the Garrison and stuff."

"We are all getting off topic." Allura snapped. "Whatever your name is, I would very much like you to _explain_."

"It's Kyix." Keith stated bluntly. "Keith Kogane was just an alias I made up back on Earth. I know what I look like, but _yes_ , I am Galra."

Maybe he'd look like it soon too. He hoped so.

"Look," Keith frowned, "-I never meant for things to turn out this way. The Blade of Marmora sent me to Earth because they had heard rumors that there was a lion there. I was supposed to find it, so that we could hide it from Zarkon."

"That's why I was at the Galaxy Garrison." He continued. "I assumed that they'd know something about the lion, which, turned out they didn't, but they still had the highest odds of leading me to it, so I stayed."

"Until you punched Iverson." Pidge observed.

"Right, until I did that." Keith stated.

"Wait... you punched Iverson?" Shiro cut in.

"Wait, so you know about Keith being _Galra_ , but you didn't know he punched Iverson?" Lance asked.

"I mean, I knew that he'd done something to get himself kicked out of the Garrison, but I just..." Shiro trailed off, not having much to say to defend himself. "Kind of never got around to asking."

"Is Iverson the fellow who strapped you to that table?" Coran asked.

"Yeah, that's him." Shiro noted.

"Oh well," Coran frowned, "-in that case, good call, Number Four."

Opening his mouth to say he'd done that _before_ he'd strapped Shiro to a table, Keith quickly shut it. Now wasn't exactly the best time to talk about that, not when Allura was getting more annoyed by how off topic they were getting by the second.

Even if he found it strangely reassuring. Veering from one subject to the next- it felt strangely _normal_ , all things considered.

"That still does not explain what you are doing _here_ , masquerading as a human." Allura flatly stated. "If you have an explanation in regards to that, I would love to hear it."

Frowning, Keith turned to look at her. "I was getting to that."

"Then get to it." Allura simply said.

Right. Well, he couldn't say he hadn't expected this.

Allura was... in her eyes, this had to be just another betrayal from the Galra. He'd kept secrets, lied to her. There was no way around that, and she had every right to be angry with him. She wasn't wrong about him being a Galra spy, even if he hadn't exactly been spying on them for the empire.

"Like I said before, I didn't mean for things to turn out this way." Keith told her. "Rescuing Shiro from the Garrison wasn't exactly according to plan, and neither was running into everyone else. After that, things just happened, and I ended up on Arus with the rest of them. I didn't mean to... lying to you wasn't my intention."

"And yet you did." Allura observed.

"Yeah," Keith admitted, "-I did."

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence between the two of them. Before finally, Allura's shoulders slumped. She still looked angry, no doubt about that, but she at least seemed to be willing to consider what he said. "I suppose this explains why you were so quick to defend the Blade of Marmora."

"It's not a trap." Keith told her. "That... probably doesn't mean a lot coming from me, but whatever you think about us, we're not that. We want to destroy the Galra Empire just as much as anyone else does."

Considering his words, Allura didn't break his gaze once the entire time. "Very well."

Turning on her heel, her gaze leveled on Coran. For a moment, she just frowned at him, before steeling herself, doubtlessly reminding herself of the work that needed to be done. "Coran, you are to remain here with the ship."

"I- yes, princess." Coran said, guilt visible on the old man's features. He felt a bit bad, about putting the advisor in this position, but it wasn't like it had been his choice.

Allura's gaze briefly lingered on Shiro, before she turned away, facing him once more. "Now then, I would love to hear what the Blade of Marmora has to say for themselves, putting a spy on my ship."

"Like I said," Keith told her, "-it wasn't intentional."

"Be that as it may," Allura said, "-it does not change the fact that you hid your true identity from us. If you had been honest with us from the start-"

"Would you even have listened to me if I had?" Keith asked.

To her credit, Allura didn't so much as flinch at the question. She did, however, back down.

"Look," Shiro spoke up, "-we can discuss this more once we get to the base. For now, forging that alliance is our top priority. Whatever else is true, this doesn't change the fact that we _need_ allies, and right now, the Blade of Marmora is our best bet. Keith?"

Looking up at Shiro, he gave him a curt nod of his head. "Our leader says he's willing to consider it."

"Good." Shiro said. "In that case, let's not waste any more time here. Paladins, suit up and meet in the red lion's hangar."

It took another long moment of awkward silence for anyone to move- Allura all but stalking off of the bridge first. Pidge trailed after her, her gaze lingering on him for half a second too long to be comfortable, before Lance took up the rear behind her, Hunk scurrying to catch up.

That just left Shiro and Coran.

Only once they were the only three left, did he remember to exhale. Shoulders slumping, Keith felt a bit of his held tension was out of him, if not all of it. That... could have gone worse.

Shiro just smiled. "You did good, Keith. I know that wasn't easy."

"I must say, I'm rather surprised." Coran remarked. "You didn't tell me that Shiro knew, or that you were planning on exposing yourself to everyone like that."

"Things kind of came together last minute." Keith told him. "But uh- thanks. For what you said."

"Oh, think nothing of it." Coran told him. "I imagine the princess will want to have a bit of chat with me when you're all done at the base, but I'll stand by it."

"You made the right choice." Shiro told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Now come on. We shouldn't keep the others waiting."

Nodding his head, Keith gave him a weak smile.

* * *

"Why _him_?"

Some part of Allura knew that she was being childish, ranting at the red lion as she was. Though she knew it could understand her, it wasn't as if she could understand it. It may have been her father's lion, but she did not have that same connection with it.

Instead, it had forged one with a _Galra_.

Some part of her knew that Coran was right- that the red lion would have never forged a bond with Keith- or _Kyix_ , rather, the Galra name like a spot on her thoughts- if he weren't true to his desire to remove Zarkon from power. That still didn't make it any easier to accept.

How had she not seen it? They'd had a _Galra_ aboard all along, and she hadn't so much as even noticed. If it weren't for what the mice told her, she might never have even suspected as much. In hindsight, so much made sense now- why he'd been so quick to trust the Blade of Marmora, so willing to leap to their defense. How he never seemed to want to discuss Earth, why he kept himself apart from the other paladins, and outright _avoided_ her.

His so-called psychic gift.

 _Reazit_.

Not only was he Galra, but he was also a _reazit_. He had to be.

Narrowing her eyes, she stared straight up at the red lion, as if she somehow expected it to give her the answers she sought. It had to have known, all this time, just who and _what_ was piloting it. A Galra. She'd selected a _Galra_ for a paladin.

The red lion, her _father's_ lion, had selected a Galra for a paladin.

Suddenly, the flash of guilt in his eyes when he spoke of her father made so much more sense. Chewing on her lip, she tried not to think on it, nor on the way he had been perfectly willing to throw himself in harm's way to protect them, back on the Balmera. How he had challenged Zarkon himself, just so that Shiro would have time to get back to the black lion.

The sound of his screams.

Closing her eyes, Allura heaved a sigh. She could not, and would not, deny how betrayed this caused her to feel. While she and Keith- _Kyix_ \- were hardly close, he'd nevertheless become a part of this ship, of this family, albeit a distant one. It just made the fact that he had been lying to them all, right from the start, sting all the more.

She did not understand how Shiro had accepted it so easily.

Coran, yes. As hurt as the fact that he had known made her feel, she knew full well what he was like. It wasn't in his nature to hold such things against people, not unless they had done something monstrously terrible, as Zarkon had.

And for all her feelings of betrayal, Kyix was no Zarkon.

She knew that he must have been feeding back information to the Blade of Marmora all along. No one had said as much, but it was not exactly hard to guess. That... she did not care for it, not at all- it was hardly a fantastic basis to build an alliance on.

But it did mean that this very likely wasn't one of Zarkon's traps.

Not when Kyix had been aboard the Castle of Lions all along, and they were all still alive. It had been Ulaz who had said that if he wanted them dead, they would be, and she supposed that he was right, in more ways than one. Kyix could have easily finished them all off as they slept, and then hand delivered the lions of Voltron straight to Zarkon.

So yes, likely, this was not a trap.

It still did not mean she fully trusted the Blade of Marmora. Even if it had not been their initial intention to send one of their own to infiltrate the paladins, she could not ignore the fact that they _had_. Beyond that, there was no telling what kind of ulterior motives they might have.

Exhaling, Allura slowly opened her eyes, staring back up at the red lion. It sat, unmoved by her unstable emotions, waiting for the return of its paladin.

He was not long after her.

Turning on her heel at the sound of opening doors, Allura frowned. Kyix froze, before attempting to act like he hadn't, though she had no idea who he was trying to fool. Reflecting back on it, he had hardly been the most subtle of spies- if it were not for the simple matter of his appearance, she likely would have had cause to doubt him more.

She did wonder at that. Galra were not shapeshifters, not as Alteans were. But then again, he was a _reazit_ , so perhaps he had the gift of it.

Perhaps not. It would seem that the part about him having no control over it was not a lie, not given what he had gone through back on the Balmera.

"Princess." Kyix's voice was level, betraying nothing. "Guess you're the only one here."

Well two could play at that game. "So it would seem."

Saying nothing, he made his way towards the red lion. Frowning, she took this as a chance to study his features- but no matter how she looked at him, he appeared human. The only hint that he might be otherwise were his eyes, but even then, she did not know enough about humans to know if purple was an uncommon color or not.

He must have felt her staring, because he turned back on his heel, looking directly at her. "You have something to say to me, princess?"

"Yes," she replied honestly, "-but if I start, I will not be able to stop."

He said nothing to that, merely turning back to the red lion. In spite of herself, she felt her skin crawl as he laid a hand on it, knowing what she did now about him. Some part of her couldn't help but feel like her father's lion was being defiled by a Galra. That perhaps it had been swayed while in Galra custody.

But she doubted it.

She wondered how her father would feel about this. But he was no longer around, in any form, to ask.

She tried not to think about the awkward words of comfort he had given her in the aftermath of the destruction of her father's AI. She tried not to think about a lot of things, really.

Thankfully, they weren't alone for long- Shiro arrived just seconds later. And while she would very much like to have a few words with him as well, it did serve to make things a bit less tense.

* * *

"So what, are we just not going to talk about this?"

Looking up at Lance, Pidge frowned. "About what? Keith being a secret alien?"

They had all sort of ended up crossing paths with each other in the hallway. Which was probably to be expected, seeing as they were all headed to the same place. For the longest time, there had just been an awkward silence hanging between them, before Lance had apparently decided he'd had enough, and blurted out his question.

Guess Keith really _had_ shanked Haxus.

She knew that had sounded like him.

"No, about the pope." Lance rolled his eyes. " _Yes_ , about Keith being a secret alien!"

"Uh, shouldn't we call him Kyix?" Hunk chimed in. "I mean... that's his real name, right?"

"Kyix," Lance repeated, "-what kind of name is _Kyix_?"

"Galra, apparently." Pidge remarked.

"If Keith's Galra, why does he look so _human_?" Lance asked. "I mean... I don't know if you've noticed, but he's not exactly big, purple, and hairy."

"Yeah," Pidge said, "-we've noticed."

She was dying to know that, actually. It wasn't just the fact that Keith _looked_ human- but he'd been a part of the Galaxy Garrison. In other words, he would have had to pass _both_ their physical and medical exams, and while sure- she'd passed them both too, but it was a lot easier to hide being female than it was to hide being an _alien_.

Which Keith apparently was.

So much for being proof that psychic powers existed.

"Maybe... maybe he's not?" Hunk ventured. "I mean, sure maybe he was like, _raised_ by them something, but... maybe he's still human?"

"He did sort of imply that he wasn't, though." Pidge pointed out. "Otherwise I'd agree with you Hunk."

"Oh." Hunk blinked. "Oh yeah, right. He did kind of say that."

"Well, at least Keith being Galra explains why he's so damn _grumpy_ all the time." Lance remarked.

"His eating habits." Hunk added.

"The fact that he practically lives in the training room." Pidge chimed in.

"Not to mention the fact that he never gets any of my jokes." Lance said.

"Maybe you just make bad jokes." Pidge quipped.

"Hey, my jokes are _fine_!" Lance protested, narrowing his eyes. "It's just Keith who doesn't have a sense of humor!"

"I mean... he laughs at my jokes, sometimes." Hunk said. "So... yeah."

Frowning, Lance glowered back at Hunk. "Wow, Hunk. Wow. And here I thought we were friends."

Giving him an apologetic smile, Hunk chewed on his lip. "So... what do you think's gonna happen? I mean, Allura didn't seem happy. Like. At all."

"That's putting it one way." Pidge noted, arching her brows.

"What, you think Allura's gonna chase him off the team?" Lance asked.

"I don't know." Hunk confessed.

"I'm not so sure the lions work that way." Pidge said. "I mean... the red lion had to have known, right? And we've all seen the way it comes for him whenever he's in danger."

"I wonder if Blue knew it too." Lance frowned. "I mean... she did let him in, back on Earth."

"Come to think of it, Keith's been in _all_ of our lions." Hunk observed. "I mean, except for Shiro's. But I don't think any of us have been in the black lion."

"Huh," frowning, Pidge gave that some thought, "-now that you mention it, yeah, he has. He's been in the green lion like, four times, even."

"So... what?" Lance asked. "We can trust him?"

"I mean... Shiro trusts him." Hunk pointed out. "And Coran."

"Yeah, but he _lied_ to us." Lance pointed out. "Plus he's Galra."

"I mean... so was Ulaz." Pidge said. "And he sacrificed himself to save us."

She hadn't meant to bring about another silence, but guess that's just what they were going to have a lot of today. Funny- she hadn't remembered the path to the red lion's hangar being quite this long. Maybe it just felt that way.

"...do you think he knew him?"

Sucking in a breath, Pidge closed her eyes. Yeah, she'd been thinking about that too. The way Keith had closed himself off, even more than usual after that battle... not to mention the way he'd gotten so gung ho about dragging them all to training after it.

"I think maybe he did."

With that thought weighing on their minds, they reached the red lion's hangar.

Maybe the path hadn't been quite long enough.


	13. homecoming

Hello, it's here! Chapter thirteen! My mouse broke while I was working on this chapter- just the scroller, but man, you don't realize how much you depend on it until it stops working, rip. Got another one on order, so just have to hold out until then! But Keith finally gets to go home! The Blades are here! We'll be hanging with these guys for awhile, so stick around~!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter thirteen**

 **homecoming**

* * *

The ride over to the base was silent, awkward. Keith wouldn't let anyone into the red lion's cockpit with him, not even Shiro. None of the remaining paladins seemed to know what to say to the other, and nobody wanted to risk upsetting Allura further.

"So, uh," Hunk finally chose to break the silence, shifting nervously, "-are we doing this?"

"If you mean forging an alliance with this _Blade of Marmora_ ," Allura began, "-that remains to be seen."

Nobody dared speak up after that. Thankfully, the journey to the base wasn't long. They could all feel it as they touched down on the asteroid.

"We're here."

Keith's voice over the intercom gave them all a start, like they hadn't been expecting it. Allura merely narrowed her eyes, rising to her feet first. Adjusting her helmet, she strode forward, towards the cargo hold exit.

Behind her, the Garrison cadets all exchanged a glance. None of them knew how this was going to end. If it was going to end with them working together with the Blade of Marmora, or if Allura was simply here to return Keith- _Kyix-_ to them, after which they would find a new red paladin. None of them even knew if that was _possible_.

Heaving a sigh, Shiro rose to his feet. "Right. Let's go."

Chewing on his lip, Hunk forced himself to stand first, Pidge and Lance quickly following suit. Whatever happened from this point on, they needed to be ready for.

"Guess we're about to lose our home field advantage." Lance muttered underneath his breath.

"To be fair," Pidge whispered, "-we've had that on Keith from the start."

Glancing over towards her, Lance considered her words. "Yeah. Guess so."

But now that would change. Now they would finally get to see the place- and the people- that had made the red paladin who he was.

The Blade of Marmora.

* * *

He could feel Allura's eyes on him as he left the red lion, but he didn't pay it any mind. He'd expected this. Even if the princess had a sharp glower to rival that of Kolivan's, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Besides, he was home now.

As soon as he stepped on familiar rock, he felt himself breathe a little easier. When he had left to find the blue lion, he hadn't known how long it would take him to get back here- so nearly three years wasn't such a bad amount of time. Still, it was longer than he had ever spent away from the base, and if he had to be honest, he'd been kind of lonely.

He wouldn't admit that out loud, though. Not something that made him sound that _childish_. Regris would tease him for sure.

Thinking of the Blade, he felt his lips twitch in a smile. Grateful for the mask that hid his face, he strode forward, briefly wondering who would be sent to greet them. He imagined they would have to get all the formal business out of the way before he could truly enjoy his homecoming, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a piece of it.

Ulaz's blade rested heavily where he had hung it from his belt.

Behind him, he heard Lance mutter about this just seeming like a plain asteroid. He resisted the urge to turn around, knowing full well it wasn't.

As if on cue, the rock before them parted, giving way to a pair of Blades. One he recognized in an instant- there was no mistaking Antok, even masked. The other took him a moment, if only because he couldn't recall when Vrek had returned to the main base.

Guess even in just three years, some things had changed.

"Kyix," Antok strode forward, wasting no time with formalities, "-it is good to see you safe, youngling."

Beaming, Keith held out his arm, Antok gripping his forearm tight. "Same to you. When did Vrek get back from the Rebulon quadrant?"

"Vrek can answer his own questions." Vrek replied, sounding indignant. "Mere quintants ago, actually. Imagine my surprise when I heard you had been sent away."

Frowning, Keith's brows knit together. "You make it sound like I'd been exiled."

"You were sent to a planet named after dirt." Vrek merely pointed out.

"...okay yeah, when you put it that way, it _does_ kind of sound like exile." Keith frowned.

He'd pretty much thought the same when he'd first realized what his mission entailed. When he had learned that the Earthlings hadn't even managed to leave their own _system_ yet.

But Earth hadn't been all bad, he guessed. There had been some good things. Like Shiro. And dogs. Dogs were nice.

Okay, that was pretty much the full list right there. He guessed hoverbikes were pretty neat, so three things, actually. Which was better than none, but still- three things.

"Keith," Shiro piped up, "-any chance you can introduce us?"

"Keith?" Vrek inquired, and he was certain his brows were arched under his mask.

"It's ah, my alias- from Earth." Keith told him, dimly realizing that they had been chatting in Galran the entire time. With the translators in the paladin's helmets, they would be able to understand him, but it was still a statement.

But they already knew he was Galra, so he guessed it didn't matter.

Exhaling, Keith turned on his heel. Allura was watching him with narrowed eyes, and he didn't miss the way that even Shiro looked a little unsettled. But after being held captive by the Galra for a year, it didn't surprise him that a group of a Galra speaking in their own tongue might make him a bit nervous, even if he _could_ understand them.

"These are Antok and Vrek." He told them, switching to English. "They're both senior members of the Blade of Marmora."

Stepping forward, Shiro offered his hand. "Takashi Shirogane. I'm the black paladin. With me are Princess Allura of Altea, and the rest of the paladins."

Antok merely glanced at the hand, before grasping Shiro by the forearm instead. He blinked for a brief moment, before he chose to return the gesture. "Well met."

"Are we to stand here all day," Allura cut in, leveling a suspicious gaze on all three of them, "-or are we allowed inside your base?"

Releasing Shiro's hand, he didn't need to see Antok's face to know that a deep frown was etched into it. But instead of saying anything, he merely stepped back, allowing the paladins access to the elevator that would bring them inside the base. Without waiting for further instructions, Allura strode forward, taking her place, the rest somewhat awkwardly trailing behind her.

He could feel their eyes on him as joined them last.

"So uh," Hunk ventured, as the elevator began to descend, "-I take it you guys know Kei- _Kyix_?"

Antok merely hummed. "Since he was young."

"And smaller even than this." Vrek added.

Shifting on his feet, Keith frowned. Thankfully, the subject didn't stay on him long- the elevator ride was a short one, letting them off in the main hall. He felt his back stiffen, willing to bet that every senior member currently present on the base had gathered there, flanking each side of the hall.

At the very end stood Kolivan.

He didn't need to see his face to know it was set in an impassive expression behind his mask. His posture was closely guarded, _watchful_ \- outsiders had never been brought into the main base, and for good reason. If it were compromised, the identities of Blades galaxies over could potentially be exposed.

Including his mother, he couldn't help but think.

Steadying himself, Keith stepped forward. "Leader."

"Kyix," Kolivan began, "-I hear you have a blade to present."

Bowing his head, Keith closed his eyes. He could feel the paladins' eyes on him now, more than ever- he wondered if it had ever dawned on them that he had known Ulaz. Maybe. His state following his death hadn't exactly been the best.

They all had the sense not to interrupt- even Allura.

"Before his death, Ulaz entrusted me with his blade." Keith told him. "I have come to return it."

"Bring it forward." Kolivan instructed.

Wordlessly stepping forward, he mounted the steps. Drawing Ulaz's blade, he rested it in both hands, the once glowing blade having gone dark. Presenting it to Kolivan, he kept himself steady, even though he couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion, one that threatened to knock him off his feet.

It was not the first blade he had passed on. It probably wouldn't even be the last.

It just never got easier.

Wordlessly accepting the blade, he watched as Kolivan traced where it would have once glowed with a clawed finger. Looking up at his leader, he didn't miss the set of his shoulders, that subtle hint that he was mourning. As if having Ulaz's blade in his hands had turned his death into a reality.

Knowledge or death.

"The blade is accepted." Kolivan's tone was stoic.

But he knew.

Ulaz had been a Blade for a long time. His loss was monumental.

Wordlessly, another Blade came forward to accept Ulaz's blade. Ilun, he realized, catching her eye. It made sense. Ulaz had been the one to instruct her, just as he had him. They had been close.

He wondered if he'd gotten the chance to see her child.

Without another word, Ilun carried the blade out of sight. With the ceremony done with, Keith stepped back, though he didn't quite rejoin the paladins. It didn't seem right. Right now, he wasn't of their number.

He joined the Blades instead.

Only now did Kolivan turn his attention towards the paladins. Clasping his arms behind his back, he stood to his full height. "I am Kolivan, leader of the Blade of Marmora."

This time, it wasn't Shiro who stepped forward. Striding forward with confident steps, Princess Allura presented herself to Kolivan, her back just as straight as that of his own. "I am Princess Allura, of planet Altea. I come with the paladins of Voltron."

He sensed there were several biting comments that the princess wished to make, but her diplomatic nature won out. He didn't miss the way her gaze briefly flickered towards him, before she fixed it back on Kolivan, unwilling to let it leave him after that.

"We have come here, hoping to forge an alliance." Allura stated. "Are we welcome?"

Kolivan considered the Altean princess for a long moment. "We can make arrangements for you here on the base."

"Wait, _on_ the base?" Lance piped up.

He could almost see Kolivan's frown at the interruption. "Yes. Due to the sun, a ship as large as yours will not be able to depart for another two quintants. It is more practical if you are to remain here."

No one could argue with that, although it looked like Allura wanted to. Instead, she gave Kolivan a curt nod of her head. "Very well then. We shall accept your offer of hospitality."

"Antok can show you to where you will reside." Kolivan told her. "We can reconvene in one varga to discuss the terms of our alliance."

Jerking his head up, Keith stared at Kolivan. From the sound of it, he'd already made up his mind. For a second, he had to wonder if this was _really_ Kolivan, or if someone had planted a brain worm underneath his pillow when he wasn't looking.

Kolivan caught his eye, and he quickly looked away.

He felt, rather than saw, Allura's eyes on him. It lingered for a moment longer, before she turned away, presumably looking back towards Kolivan. "I am to assume we are to move around the base with a provided escort."

Kolivan didn't even flinch. "Yes."

Narrowing her eyes, Allura looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. "Very well. In that case, if you would kindly direct us to our accommodations."

Kolivan nodded, lifting a hand. "Antok. Their quarters."

Stepping forward, Antok bowed his head. The princess probably didn't understand what an honor it was to have Antok chosen to show them around base- he wasn't just _any_ Blade, it was Kolivan's second in command. "Understood."

Likely in an effort to appease the paladins, Antok's mask flickered, before fading away entirely. Since they had their backs turned, he was unable to make out their faces, but he did see the way their shoulders flinched, a clear sign of surprise.

Probably didn't expect a one-eyed Galra.

"Whoa," he caught Lance mutter, "-he's like a _centaur_ or something."

"I think you mean a _cyclops_." Pidge dryly corrected.

"Yeah, that."

It was true- Antok only had the one eye, directly in the center of his face. A mutation, as his twin had been born with both. His skin was more gray than purple, scaled. Among the Blade of Marmora, he was legendary for escaping from the druids with his life- even if his battle with them had left him disfigured, scarred. His mouth was split by them, though the rest were concealed underneath his armor.

They still caused him great pain, to this day. He never showed it.

Antok merely brushed aside their comments. "Follow me."

Though Allura, with her head held high, moved to follow behind him quickly, the rest of the paladins hesitated for a second.

Turning back to look at him, Hunk frowned. "Wait, what about Keith?"

"Kyix has quarters of his own." Antok stated simply.

Hunk's mouth made an O shape, clearly processing that piece of information. It probably hadn't dawned on them yet that this was his home.

He imagined his quarters were just as he had left him- unless they'd managed to get his possessed scribbling off the wall while he was gone. He doubted his mother had been back in the two years he had been absent, not if she was undercover in Ranveig's territory. It wasn't a position he envied.

He'd be worried, but he knew his mother could handle it.

"Kyix," Kolivan's voice caught his attention, the Blade leader's mask flickering away once the paladins were gone, "-I have yet to welcome you home."

Home. It sunk into him then that he really was home. "It's good to be home."

"Come," Kolivan said, "-we have much to discuss."

Taking that as his cue, he fell into step behind the Blade leader. His skin itched, reminding him keenly that he had returned home in a form that was not his own. He wanted to dissolve his mask, but he knew that he shouldn't.

He wondered if Kolivan would let him change back.

"You wish to ask about the device."

Looking up, Keith frowned. "Everyone knows I'm Galra now. There's not much point to pretending to be human any longer."

Except there was, and they both knew it. The universe would be far more trusting of a human paladin than it ever would be of one who was Galra. And for good reason- the last time a Galra had been a paladin, they had sparked a ten thousand year war. Suffice to say, they didn't exactly have the best track record.

"We can discuss the matter with the princess." Kolivan told him. "The decision will rest with her."

Feeling his shoulders sink at that, Keith stared down at the floor. Right. Guess he was stuck like this, then. Unless Allura decided to remove him from the team entirely, he couldn't see any way in which this ended with him resuming his natural form.

"I would like to have your hand examined, though." Kolivan noted. "Has it been bothering you?"

Forcing himself to look up, Keith shook his head. "No, it's been fine. The color hasn't spread any. Probably just a malfunction."

Letting out a low hum, Kolivan looked ahead. "There is much we still do not understand about Svatavi's work."

"It's not like she's here to tell us about it." Keith observed, knowing he sounded a bit bitter. His grandmother would have been the only one who could have taught him about his gift, but he'd never even met her.

"She would be proud, you know." Kolivan told him. "Of what you've accomplished."

Arching a brow, Keith frowned. "All I've done is consistently blow my cover."

"I meant becoming a paladin." Kolivan told him.

"Oh," Keith blinked, "-right."

Coming to a halt, Kolivan looked down at him. "You've done well, Kyix."

He wasn't used to getting such earnest praise, and from _Kolivan_ , of all people. Usually this sort of thing came from his mother- or more recently, Shiro. Maybe someone really _had_ stuck a brain worm under his pillow.

(It was probably Regris.)

It didn't stop him from glowing with the praise. Hey, if Kolivan was going to give it, he might as well take it, right?

"Thanks," he said, "-but I didn't do it alone."

"The paladins." Kolivan mused. "What is your opinion of them?"

Blinking, Keith tilted his head. It wasn't like he hadn't expected the question, but that didn't make it any easier to answer. "I think- I think they have a lot of potential."

"Tell me about them."

Considering his words, Keith's brows knit together. "Well, there's Shiro. He's the only actual adult out of the group, in human terms, and it... kind of shows, sometimes."

That didn't exactly paint the most flattering picture of his fellow paladins, but hey, he had to call it like he saw it. Besides, he was pretty sure that was supposed to be _normal_ \- they hadn't grown up like he had, embroiled in a centuries long war with little hope to be won. Not being a part of it just wasn't an option.

"You've spoken of him highly in the past." Kolivan observed.

"He's talented." Keith said. "I'm pretty sure if he'd been given access to the same kind of tech I had while learning to fly, he'd be even better than I am."

"High praise, coming from you." Kolivan noted.

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith folded his arms in front of him. "It's true. He keeps the team together, no matter what. I honestly can't think of anyone better suited to being the black paladin."

"And the others?"

"Well... Pidge is the green lion. Voltron's left arm." Keith told him. He'd told him all about the paladins before, of course, but this was the first time he'd really spoken to him about them in length. Usually it had been in brief snippets, status reports on their progress. Nothing really personal.

"Her father and brother were on the same mission Shiro was." Keith told him. "She nearly left Voltron over it. But she's... smart. Determined. Very small. It's worrying."

The corner of Kolivan's mouth twitched in amusement. "Yes. It is worrying."

Okay, fine. He'd walked into that one, he'd admit it. But he'd stand by it.

"I don't think we would have been able to free Olkarion without her." Keith said frankly. "She's adapted to working with Altean tech faster than I would have thought possible. I mean, she made modifications to the _green lion_."

He didn't even think Pidge knew how amazing that was. Like she'd never even stopped to think about it.

"And Lance... Lance is the blue lion. Voltron's right leg." Keith frowned a little, wondering what exactly he could say about Lance. Out of the paladins, he'd probably matured the least- at least, in so far as he'd noticed.

But he was also the only one outside of Shiro who actually put effort into training. Hunk and Pidge might show up for group exercises, but otherwise, they both avoided the training deck like the plague. He should probably do something about that.

Chewing on his lip, Keith shifted on his feet. "He's... got good aim? He's good with people too, I guess. And he's... he can be pretty immature, but he comes through when it counts. I think he's learning that being a paladin is about more than just looking good."

"He keeps picking fights with me, though." Keith added. "Not sure why."

Something about them being _rivals_ , or something. He wasn't sure where Lance had gotten that idea, but for the most part, he tried to ignore it.

Emphasis on _try_. Maybe he could get carried away sometimes. He'd admit it. Privately. To himself.

Kolivan just looked amused.

Pressing on, Keith furrowed his brow. "Which leaves Hunk. He's the yellow lion, Voltron's left leg. He's the only one who didn't have any experience as a pilot before Voltron."

He didn't actually know if Pidge reading flight manuals counted as _experience_ , but it at least put her on better footing than Hunk.

"But he's been learning." Keith quickly added. He hadn't asked him for lessons again, but that was probably more his own fault than Hunk's. He'd found a much better teacher in Shiro. "I think... he's scared a lot of the time, but he never runs away. That takes courage. Out of all the paladins, I think he has the most potential for growth."

Kolivan merely let out a low, assessing hum. "Do you believe they stand a chance of defeating Zarkon?"

In comparison, that was an easy question.

"Yes."

* * *

Pacing was not becoming for a princess, yet she could not fight the urge to do so.

After leaving them with the promise that someone would come to escort them in precisely one varga, the Galra known as Antok had left them. The door had been locked behind him, making it clear that they were not welcome to wander the base as they chose.

It just sufficed to make her feel like she was some kind of prisoner.

To a degree, she could understand. The Blade of Marmora had likely thrived off secrecy, existing for as long as they had solely because of it. To let outsiders, even ones they planned to forge an alliance with, simply wander around their base would be a fool's move. But even though she could understand it, it did not mean she had to _like_ it- and she very much did not like it.

The quarters themselves were not objectionable. A bit small, with what best could be described as individual sleeping holes set off from a central gathering point- a bit like a lounge, she thought. There was a single bathroom set back to the room- thankfully, it, unlike the sleeping quarters, had a door. It was a far cry from her room on the Castle of Lions, but it would suffice for two quintants, she supposed.

She didn't have to ask to guess that they did not exactly have very many guests.

"Maybe you should sit down."

Turning towards Shiro, she leveled a sharp gaze on him. "Maybe you should have told us the truth."

He didn't flinch, instead remaining firm. "I broke your trust. I'm sorry about that. But I couldn't tell you the truth without breaking Keith's."

Narrowing her eyes, she finally came to halt. "And I suppose he matters more to you than the rest of us."

This time Shiro did flinch. "That's not what I meant."

"How long?" Allura asked. "How long did you know?"

Before he had even left Earth? After? Since they had arrived on the Castle of Lions? He'd not specified. For all she knew, he could have known that Keith was Galra the entire time, and had chosen to hide it from them, from the very beginning.

"Since Ulaz."

At the mention of the Blade, she tensed. Even she could recognize that an apology was owed in that matter. She had said some rather cruel things about him, when he had likely been Keith's comrade in arms.

Or Kyix, she supposed. _Pride_ , she thought.

How could a spy have any pride?

That thought was too sour, even for her. Shutting her eyes, she turned on her heel, drawing in a long breath. The other paladins had retreated to one of the sleeping holes, apparently choosing to stay well out of her way. She could not blame them. She knew that she did not exactly make for good company at the moment.

They were all probably trying to figure out how to deal with Kyix on their own. Though she was loathe to admit it, there would be no replacing him- and the last thing she wanted was to shatter the bonds that they had built as paladins herself. If it could survive this, perhaps they would even come out stronger.

But it still meant there would be a Galra in her father's lion.

And that thought, more than any, ate away at her.

 _She_ had been the one who had chosen Kyix to fly it, recognizing the spark of quintessence in him. How could she not have seen it? Whatever had been done to him to mask his true appearance, she should have been able to sense on some level that he was Galra. But she hadn't so much as even noticed.

Perhaps that was why he had been so loathe to allow her to recheck his quintessence after the corrupted wormhole. Thinking about that merely caused her to think about the guilt which Kyix had felt upon learning they were being tracked, how he believed that it was being done through him.

How he had been alone in a pod with her for hours, and had done nothing to her.

She tried not to dwell on that.

"I do not understand." Allura finally said, her voice quiet. "The Galra took much from you. How is that you can still trust him?"

To his credit, Shiro actually seemed to consider the question. "He's still Keith. That hasn't changed."

She wished she could simply accept that, but she couldn't. To her, it felt as if everything she knew about the red paladin had been a lie- and to begin with, she had known very little about him.

But she thought about his somber expression in the cockpit of their shared pod, the way he had admitted that he'd lost people. How he had expressed sympathy for her own losses.

How he had _apologized_ for them.

At the same time, she could not help but wonder where his allegiances had lain. Had he ever been loyal to the paladin cause, or was he merely working with them because their goals aligned with the Blade of Marmora? He had been the only one to speak out against rescuing her from Zarkon, and while that had been what she had wanted, this new information cast his refusal in a new light.

In which case, if they ever failed to align, would he betray them?

She couldn't answer that. And her inability to do so left her feeling uneasy. To allow such a question mark to return to the Castle of Lions, to resume his duties as a paladin as if nothing had ever happened... she did not know if she could do it.

But he had been on the Castle of Lions this entire time, and had done nothing but _earn_ her trust. Even when he had refused to have his quintessence checked, her first instinct was not mistrust, but rather wondering if she had overstepped his boundaries somehow.

She did not think the Keith that had thrown himself in harm's way was a lie.

And then there was the matter of the alliance with the Blade of Marmora. That was its own issue, however tied to Kyix it was. While Shiro was correct- they _did_ need allies, she still felt uncertain about this whole venture.

"Princess," Shiro began, "-you know we need Keith."

Heaving a long sigh, her shoulders slumped. She was very aware.

"Yes, I know." She said simply, not quite looking at him. "But I cannot forgive the fact that he lied to us so easily."

"...and the fact that he's Galra?" Shiro ventured.

"I will admit, it is a factor." Allura stated. "You must understand, Shiro. When Zarkon declared war on Altea, countless Galra that we considered our allies betrayed us. It was not _only_ Zarkon."

"I won't claim to understand what you went through," Shiro began, "-and I won't say your feelings aren't justified, because they are. But I think you should give the Blade of Marmora a chance."

It went without saying that he also meant Kyix.

Brows knitting together, Allura turned on her heel, studying his face. He was so different, she thought, from Zarkon. Not the monster they now faced, but the Zarkon who had once been- and yet, in some ways, they were not that dissimilar.

In the end, it had been Zarkon's devotion to those he cared about that had been his own undoing. That had become the _universe's_ undoing. She did not doubt that Shiro had that same depth of devotion- she had seen it in the way he had refused to abandon her.

The Zarkon of old had cared, deeply- there had been greed, to be sure, but it was that caring, that devotion, that eventually consumed him, becoming something twisted. Unrecognizable.

(Come to think of it, whatever had happened to Honerva?)

"I will try."

That was all she could promise.

* * *

"So how much longer do you think they'll make us wait?"

"They said one varga, so," Pidge responded, checking her gauntlet computer, "-probably another few minutes or so."

Frowning, Lance's brows knit together. "Can't believe we're all stuck here for like, two days."

Glancing between the two of them, Hunk opened his mouth to say something, before thinking better of it. Everyone's nerves were high at the moment, except for maybe Shiro's- he didn't know how he did it, frankly. Or maybe he _was_ nervous and just didn't show it. Could be that.

Heck, even _he_ was kind of nervous. Which, granted, wasn't that strange, but it wasn't like they were with enemies here. Sure, they _looked_ like the enemy, but that didn't mean they _were_ the enemy.

His thoughts flickered to Keith again. Or Kyix? He really should start calling him Kyix. Sure, he hadn't exactly said that he didn't like being called Keith, and it wasn't like they had all started calling Pidge _Katie_ after she had revealed she was a girl, but- look, he was just trying to be considerate.

This situation was enough of a mess as it is.

At least Keith- _Kyix_ \- being an alien explained his eating habits. Probably. At least, he hoped. He knew no human being could willingly enjoy a meat shake.

In hindsight, it explained like, a _ton_ about Keith. Like that weird noise he'd made back on the Balmera, or the way he slept with a knife under his pillow.

Actually that one just might be the war.

Huh. Guess his initial theory actually hadn't been that far off.

"So who do you think's gonna come collect us?" Lance asked. "Tall, dark, and one-eyed?"

"My money's on Keith." Pidge said. "I mean, he _is_ technically a Blade."

"More than just _technically_." Lance snorted. "I mean, did you see how he was cozying up to those Galra that came to greet us? You'd think they were like, friends."

"Maybe they are?" Hunk ventured. "I mean... it sounds like this is kind of his home."

Lance just frowned, leaning back. "Yeah, I guess. Bet he gets nicer quarters than this. You'd think that after ten thousand years, the Galra would have heard of _privacy_."

"Maybe Galra are pack oriented?" Pidge ventured.

Letting out another snort, Lance just rolled his eyes. "What, with mullet's lone wolf act? Doubt it."

"To be fair, he has been like... the only Galra around." Hunk pointed out.

Which, by the way, was still super weird. Sure, okay, he could accept Keith being a part of the Blade of Marmora, but a Galra? Not that he had anything against him being a Galra, it was just... well, he definitely didn't _look_ the part.

"I'll admit, it's not a very strong theory." Pidge said, adjusting her glasses. "But it's not like we know a whole lot about the Galra."

"They're big, hairy, and mean." Lance recited. "Not to mention purple."

"Well yeah," Pidge frowned, "-but there's got to be more to them as a society than just that. Even within Zarkon's ranks, they have to have _something_ that resembles culture."

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get the chance, a knock on the door cutting him off. Shutting his mouth, he just frowned, seeming to glower towards the door, Shiro getting up to see who it was.

"Oh look," Pidge piped up, "-it's Keith. Pay up, Lance."

Sputtering, Lance turned to look down at her, eyes wide. "Wha- I never agreed to any bet!"

Clicking her tongue, Pidge just frowned. Normally Hunk would point out here that none of them had any money, but maybe now wasn't the best time.

It was obvious that the Blade sent to escort them was Keith. Mostly because he wasn't wearing that weird mask. Which, by the way, he was _dying_ to figure out how they worked. They obviously provided them with protection from the vacuum of space, so they had to be real, but he just couldn't figure out how they did the thing.

He wondered if Keith would let him take a look if he asked.

Maybe exchange it for some more pancakes. Turns out he actually really liked the pancakes. And he'd found some berries on Olkarion that made a great substitute for blueberries...

Except now wasn't the time to be thinking about that either.

"Keith." Shiro smiled at the small Blade. "I guess it's time for the meeting?"

Nodding his head, Keith peered into the room behind Shiro. He watched his face fall as it landed on Allura, and he could only guess what sort of face she was making, given her back was turned.

Looking back up at Shiro, Keith merely gave him a curt nod of his head. "Yeah."

"Good," Allura said, rising to her feet, "-then let us see about forming this alliance."

Oof, yeah. She still wasn't happy. Not that he could blame her- Keith had basically lied to them all, that wasn't something they could just get around. And sure, from the sound of it, that hadn't been his plan- except, it kind of _was_ , in a sense. At least, it had been back at the Garrison, when he'd been pretending to be a human.

...huh. Guess all this time, there's been an alien in the space program.

That was actually pretty funny.

"Well, guess we better just get this over with." Lance said, getting to his feet, Pidge following suit. He took a little longer to get up, briefly catching Keith's eye as he did. The Blade quickly averted his gaze when he noticed him looking, his mask flickering back into place.

Turning on his heel, Keith straightened his back. "Follow me."

Taking up the rear, Hunk did just that.


	14. kyix

Hello to the chapter I rewrote like, four times! Sometimes that just happens, and that's life. But anyways, I'm pretty pleased with the result. I was, at first, going to write out the alliance meeting itself but I just could not get it done in a way I liked so I just decided to move ahead- we'll be covering most of that stuff as it is anyways, and the plan formed is, of course, basically the same as the one in canon.

That said, please enjoy~!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter fourteen**

 **kyix**

* * *

"Youngling?"

The sound of Ilun's voice caused him to stir. Eyes flickering open, he let out a low groan, trying to place why his head was pounding. Even as he questioned it, the feeling steadily began to fade, leaving him with nothing more than a dull ache at the base of his spine.

"...Ilun?"

A faint smile graced the face of the Blade, from where she had stooped over him. Grunting, he rolled over on his back, momentarily drawing a blank as to why he had been lying on his stomach.

"You have slept for three vargas, youngling." Ilun supplied. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm in a daze."

Letting out a faint snort, her lips quirked in a proper grin. "Give it time."

Groaning, Keith hauled himself up into a sitting posture. The cold air that was pumped through the medical ward chilled his bare skin, and he instinctively drew up on himself, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Then paused, staring down at his hands.

Oh.

Right.

Holding his hands out in front of him, all he could do was stare. He'd nearly forgotten the deep lavender hue of his own skin, having had it be that pale, sandy color for so long. The curve of his claws, the way his skin was rough.

The spattering of pale color along his right hand was new.

"It seems to be a side effect." Ilun noted, catching him looking at it. "It may fade to your natural color in time, but its possible the change in pigmentation may be permanent."

Frowning, Keith traced the pale color that dotted his right hand with the backside of one of his claws. It was nearly the same color his skin had been as a human, like a reminder. Balling his hand into a fist, he closed his eyes, taking in a long, deep breath.

Normal.

He was normal again.

Slowly but surely, the events of the past few vargas came back to him. He had brought the paladins to meet with Kolivan, where they had hashed out not only the terms of their alliance, but also their next course of action.

It still didn't feel real.

Opening his eyes, he pinched his arm, letting out a sharp hiss at the spike of pain it shot through him. Ilun, standing to his side, merely blinked.

"...pick up a few habits from Earth?"

Giving her a weak smile, Keith nodded. "They say that you can tell if something's a dream by pinching yourself."

Brow arching with interest, Ilun let out a low hum. "Curious. Does it work?"

"Don't know." Keith told her. "You'd have to ask one of the paladins. They might."

"I shall keep that in mind." Ilun said. "Care for some clothes?"

Blinking, Keith glanced down at his very unclothed state, modesty protected by a mere blanket. No wonder he'd caught a chill. He didn't exactly have any fur to protect him, at least, not where it actually counted, not like Ilun's fine coat. "...clothes would be nice, yeah."

"The medics say no armor, at least not for another quintant." Ilun instructed. "So I had the black paladin fetch these from your quarters on the Castle of Lions."

Blinking, Keith tilted his head. The shock of red jumped out at him at once, but it took him a moment to place them as the civilian clothing he had picked up on Earth. The colors looked different, less vibrant through his true eyes.

He'd nearly forgotten how muted colors had been for him.

But he also didn't remember red being this _vivid_.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he flew the red lion now. Or maybe it was just another side effect. He didn't know. Before him, his grandmother's devices had only been used twice- both before his time.

Frowning, Keith's nose crinkled. "Are you sure I can't just wear my...?"

"No." Ilun cut him off, setting the clothes in his lap. "No armor."

His frown deepened, one hand idly fingering the material of his leather jacket. It wasn't like he didn't like these clothes- he'd been the one to pick them out, but it just felt awkward. It wasn't like it was that uncommon for Blades to go without their armor in the safety of the main base, but it still didn't happen often.

More often than not, it was reserved for the injured or the sick. Hand straying to the base of his spine, he frowned, feeling the healing patch that had been placed over where the incision had been made. Now that he was back to normal, he should heal quickly- he recalled when he'd first had the process done to him, it hadn't healed for two solid movements, and even then, it had left a scar.

Human bodies were inconvenient.

"Fine," Keith said, "-no armor."

Satisfied with that, Ilun nodded her head. "Good. I shall wait for you outside."

Watching her go, Keith ran a hand through his hair. Being in the medical ward brought back a lot of memories- some of them fond, others, less so. Heaving a sigh, he swung his feet out of bed, hastily pulling on his clothes. He winced a little as the fabric brushed up against the healing patch- guess that was why he wasn't supposed to wear any armor.

Pulling on his gloves, he paused, staring down at his right hand. With the glove in place, he could barely see the speckling of pale, sandy color that marred it. Narrowing his eyes, he clenched his fist, feeling the bite of his own claws as he did so.

Yeah. That was how it should be.

Drawing in and letting out a long breath, he grabbed his belt, hissing a little as he looped it around his waist. Yeah, okay, that wasn't going to work.

Instead, he hung it over his arm, with the intention of depositing it back at his quarters. Tugging on his boots with one hand, he looked up, catching sight of his own reflection.

A Galra stared back at him.

It took him by surprise, almost. He'd gotten more used to his human reflection than he thought, so the sight of solid yellow eyes, no visible pupil in sight nearly came as a shock. Leaning in, he touched the corner of his eye, where a swoop of red stood out against the deep lavender of his skin.

Guess he didn't have his mother's eyes anymore.

Dropping his hand, he narrowed said eyes. He hadn't gotten many traits from his father, but his eyes were one of them. According to his mother, when he was first born, he had the trace outline of pupils, but he'd lost them due to the quintessence exposure necessary to save his life.

Closing his eyes, he heaved a sigh. Still, this was what he wanted- a return to how he was supposed to be. But now that it was actually here, all he could feel was apprehension.

He didn't know how the paladins would react. How _Allura_ would react.

How the universe would take to having a Galra for a paladin.

Opening his eyes, he lifted his head. That was something he could worry about later. If the princess had decided that he could cease depending on his grandmother's device, then she probably had good reason for it. Maybe... maybe some part of her wanted to see the Galra be granted a second chance too.

He didn't know if that was actually true, but it would be nice.

He wasn't sure if they _deserved_ it, though.

Turning on his heel, he cast one last look towards the medical ward. The furthest corner, with a view of the stars... that was where he had spent most of his early childhood. The thought stung, and he had to force himself to look away, faces that were no longer with him flashing through his mind's eye.

If everything went well, then their deaths would not be in vain.

Their plan was going to work. He'd _make_ it work.

Exiting the medical ward, he found Ilun waiting for him. Giving her a faint smile, Keith felt his shoulders relax. Right- not everyone was gone. Ilun and Vrek were still here, and so was their child- one that he couldn't wait to meet. Kolivan and Antok, Regris, Naveera, Thace... and of course, his mother.

They were all still here.

Maybe being with the paladins had spoiled him.

"Kyix," Ilun's tone was soft, "-your thoughts are elsewhere."

"Just a lot to think about." Keith told her. "The paladins?"

"The black paladin and the Altean princess are still with Kolivan." Ilun informed him. "I believe Antok is showing the other three the base."

Now he did grin. "Antok's playing tour guide?"

"Antok is absolutely playing tour guide." Ilun reported. "Do not tell him I said this, but I believe he enjoys it."

Letting out a snort, Keith tried to picture it. Antok, detailing to the paladins how the Blades operated, down to the finest details- from training and communications, right on down to laundry. Yeah. He could see that.

"What will you do?" Ilun inquired. "Join them?"

Shaking his head, Keith's expression faltered. "Not yet. I was going to head back to my quarters. I haven't had the chance."

Giving him a knowing nod, Ilun ruffled his hair, ignoring his noise of protest. "Very well. Do not forget to come and visit me, youngling. I've still my own that I need show you."

"Wouldn't miss it."

Giving his hair another animated ruffle, Ilun departed. Watching her go, Keith felt himself sigh, half tempted to pinch himself again. Maybe Galra couldn't dream, but this sure felt like one.

Turning on his heel, he proceeded to his quarters. Pressing his hand against the access panel, it flashed green, granting him access. They were every bit as he had left them- the walls still covered in his possessed scribbling, obvious in the places where his mother had simply chosen to give up on removing them.

No sign of her having come back while he was gone.

The room was dark, dark enough that he might have had trouble navigating it as a human if he didn't already know the layout by heart. But he was no longer, so he didn't have the slightest bit of trouble. Its common area was more sunken than the room the paladins had been given, more intimate- it was meant for a family, not as a bunk.

There were only two sleeping holes, side by side. Normally, a parent shared theirs with their child until they were six cycles old, but that wasn't something he'd had the chance to experience- seeing as he'd spent that time in the medical ward. His immune system had been too weak to be out in the general public- no matter how isolated their main base was, there was still the chance that he might get sick.

It had taken deca-phoebs to get it working right again.

Tossing his belt into his sleeping hole, he flopped back in it- an action which he quickly regretted. Wincing, he sat up straight, lightly resting a hand over the base of his spine- okay, yeah, that stung. It had been even worse the first time around- he couldn't sit down for a full quintant.

Someone, probably Ilun, had gathered his armor, hanging it neatly. His blade rested in its place of honor, underneath where his mother's would be, were she here. Frowning, he tilted his head, looking towards the sleeping hole that would be hers. It was stripped bare, waiting for its owner to return.

He hadn't gotten a chance to ask Kolivan about her.

Ranveig's forces. It was a dangerous position.

But vital. Commander Ranveig was ruthless, so Zarkon had tasked him with expanding the Galra Empire. He was brutal enough to make Sendak look tame by comparison.

He hadn't asked Shiro about his mother either.

Chewing on his lip, Keith rose to his feet. Making his way across the room, he paused, grabbing his blade. It hummed underneath his fingers, almost seeming more alive now- and he felt the edges of his eyes crinkle.

Maybe it knew it was home.

Tucking it into his boot, Keith hesitated in front of the door. He didn't... actually know what he was going to do from here. Should he find Shiro and Allura?

No, they were probably busy. They had worked out a solid plan, but they still need to figure a lot of things out in order to make it work. Just building a teleduv of that size alone... well, it'd be a feat. One that would probably be impossible without the Olkari.

Should he go to the training rooms? No, the keeper probably had strict orders to throw him out on sight. He never did care for the meditation rooms, and he wasn't starving to the point where he couldn't ignore his hunger for another few vargas. Maybe find Regris? They could catch up. Or head to the nursery, to see Naveera? She might need a hand.

Or maybe he should stop avoiding the issue, and find Antok and the other paladins.

Heaving a sigh, he knew that was the best choice. Ducking back into his room, he grabbed one of the gauntlets from his Blade armor, fixing it over the sleeve of his jacket.

What was that one Earth phrase? Time to bite the ballet?

No, that definitely wasn't right.

* * *

Finding the paladins wasn't hard.

Sure, he had the advantage of knowing the base like the back of his hand- but he also had the advantage of contacting Antok and asking him directly where they were. Turned out, Ilun was right- Antok _was_ having a good time playing tour guide.

He had been dismissed from the meeting right after Allura had granted her permission to have the chip removed. But by then, they had pretty much worked out all the major moving parts- any minor details probably would have been left to Kolivan, Allura, and Shiro.

The alliance meeting itself had stretched on, taking up nearly five vargas. Things had seemed a bit testy at first, especially with the princess, but in the end, she agreed to the alliance, on the condition that there was to be no further secretive communication between him and the Blade- all such communications had to go through her.

She did, however, make an allowance for anything personal.

He'd... kind of expected that part, at least. If there was one thing the princess knew too well, it was not being able to speak with those you cared about. In her case, it was because they were all, save Coran, long gone- but though the circumstances differed, he couldn't imagine her restricting personal communications just because of her own admittedly complicated feelings towards the Galra.

It probably was easier for her to hate them. She was right- a good bulk of the Galra had betrayed their once allies, though they had done so because of Zarkon's lies. Not all had fallen for them- some were simply angry, furious that Alfor had not given Daibazaal a chance though it had been Zarkon himself who had set the stage for its destruction, others merely wanted power.

He knew all too well what it was like to lose those he cared about. But the princess... the princess had experienced that on a level he never would. How could anyone? The only other person who might come close to understanding was Coran, but even he had the advantage of having far more life experience over the princess.

Which had just made her permission to remove the chip that much more of a shock.

Not that he was complaining- he definitely wasn't doing that. Just... it was unexpected.

He couldn't even dream, and he _still_ felt the urge to pinch himself.

(He was ignoring that he already had.)

Rubbing his arm, Keith tried to push those thoughts aside. Maybe he hadn't been there for it, but he was pretty sure the other paladins had been dismissed not long after he had. Three vargas was a fair amount of time to spend showing them the base, so he wasn't too shocked to learn that Antok had nearly wrapped everything up, and had directed the paladins to the mess hall.

Where Hunk looked like he was having some kind of existential crisis.

A faint smile touching the edge of his lips, Keith picked them out from across the room. It was easy- they were the only humans here, and even if they weren't, their white paladin armor made them easy to pinpoint in a sea of dark Blade armor.

Yeah. Definitely not fit for stealth missions.

He caught Antok's eye, quickly lifting finger to his mouth and shaking his head. The large Galra quickly understood, acting as if he had not spotted him at all.

Edging his way across the room, he slowly crept towards where the paladins were sitting. Stopping to exchange greetings with the occasional Blade on the way, Keith eventually came up behind their table, his steps quiet.

"You know," he heard Hunk say, "-I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to understand why Keith liked the Garrison ration bars so much now."

"Ditto." Lance agreed.

"According to my scans, this is, at least, nutritionally balanced." Pidge remarked.

"Do your scans say that this is actually food?" Lance asked. "Because I have my doubts."

Frowning, Keith's brow furrowed. What were they even talking about? There was nothing wrong with the rations they were given. Sure, maybe compared to Earth food, they lacked visual appeal- simple strips of dried meat and fruit, but they had that kind of stuff on Earth too!

"And yet, you're eating it." Pidge observed.

"Hey, I'm hungry." Lance said. "Guess this explains why mullet could stomach Coran's paladin lunch, at least. Speaking of which- which one do you think is him?"

Perking up, Keith's ears twitched.

"I don't think any of them are Keith." Hunk stated. "Because I'm pretty sure that if he were here, he would come up and you know, say hey."

"Hey, Hunk."

"Yes, exactly like that, thank you Keith." Hunk said automatically, probably not even noticing. "I mean, Keith's still our-"

By the time Hunk stopped himself short, Pidge and Lance were already staring at him. Slowly turning his head, Hunk's eyes went wide. "Wha- Keith!?"

Folding his arms in front of him, Keith forced himself to smile. He didn't even have to look to know how awkward it was. "Hey."

None of his training had prepared him for the intense, wordless scrutiny he found himself under, the three paladins seeming to map every inch of his body with their eyes. He suddenly felt naked, exposed- and had to actively fight the urge to duck behind Antok, using him as a living shield.

He'd probably just step aside anyways, the big, looming asshole.

"You're uh," Hunk stammered, "-you're really purple huh?"

Blinking at the statement, Keith glanced down at himself, for some reason compelled to double check. "...yes?"

In spite of himself, he suddenly felt a surge of worry bud in his chest. They... hadn't exactly had a chance to actually _talk_ , not since his revelation- and it occurred to him that he didn't know how they had taken it, not exactly. During the meeting, he had gotten the impression that everything was okay, but he wasn't exactly good at picking up on stuff like that.

He'd say it was just cultural differences, but he'd been accused of being a little dense even here on base. Clearly, that was just the way he was.

Whatever else they saw when they looked at his face, his apprehension must have shown. Instantly schooling his expression to be more neutral, it was too little, too late.

The paladins exchanged a silent glance with each other, and Keith felt his shoulders tense. They were communicating something with their eyes, but whatever it was, he couldn't tell. Gaze dropping, he suddenly caught himself wondering if this was such a good idea- he was already Voltron's weak link, what if he had only just made everything worse?

All because he had to be selfish. The universe didn't need a Galra paladin, no matter what _he_ might want.

"So uh," Hunk began, "-this is the real you, huh?"

Blinking, Keith looked up. Hunk's smile was awkward, but probably no less so than his own had been earlier. "I- yeah."

"You know," Lance frowned, "-I kind of thought you'd be taller."

Crinkling his nose, Keith frowned. "Sorry?"

"I mean, you're Galra, right?" Lance asked. "But like... I'm taller than you."

Biting back a comment that it wasn't by much, Keith's frown deepened. "I'm _aket_."

The paladins blinked, and it occurred to him that both the nano tech that functioned as their universal translator, and their helmet's translators were both ten thousand years out of date. It wouldn't recognize a term that hadn't come into existence until well into Zarkon's second reign.

" _Ahlet_." Antok provided, using the old word.

Mouthing the word, Pidge frowned. "So you're... what? Short?"

Staring blankly at her, Pidge held his gaze for a long moment- before cracking a grin. "Yeah, I know. I'm a hell of a one to talk, right?"

"If you were Galra, you wouldn't even pass for a seven year old." Keith remarked.

Pidge squinted at him. "Are you calling me short?"

Blinking, Keith opened his mouth. But she had just-

"It's a joke, Keith." Pidge said lightly.

"Oh." Keith said. "I knew that."

"Please, like anyone would ever believe that." Lance rolled his eyes. "You'd think with all the time you spent on Earth, you'd pick up on jokes a little better."

Bristling, Keith's hair stood on end. "I pick up on jokes fine. Yours just aren't funny."

He didn't know what he'd done, but whatever it was, it had Pidge jolting to her feet, clambering onto the bench. Holding out her hands, she practically gleamed with excitement. "C'mere, lemme see your head."

"My... why do you want to see my head?" Keith asked.

"Just gimme." Pidge insisted, making grabby hands.

"Yeah, show her the mullet, mullet." Lance said.

Gaze flickering towards Antok, the Blade merely unhelpfully shrugged his shoulders. Looking back towards Pidge, he heaved a short sigh, taking a step towards her, ducking his head a bit so that she could get a better look. She wasted no time in digging her hands in, and he had to bite down to keep himself from making a yowl of surprise.

"Keith," Pidge managed to keep her voice level, "-is this _fur_?"

Oh. Oh, now he got it.

"...yes?" Keith told her. It was the only place on his body it actually grew. His mother had normal hair, but though his coloration came from her, the actual texture of it had come from his father.

"What?" Lance jolted up. "Okay, now this I have to see. C'mere, mullet."

Instead, Keith just took a step back, out of the range of Lance's spindly arms. "Nope. Not doing that."

Slowly holding up a hand, Hunk looked visibly nervous. "Can I touch it?"

Gaze flickering towards Lance, then back down at Hunk, Keith slowly nodded his head. Looking gleeful, Hunk sprung to his feet, ignoring Lance's pointed glare as he dug his hands into his hair.

This was... weird, he'd admit. But at least they were _asking_ , he guessed.

"Oh man, it's so _soft_." Hunk said. "And two-toned! How does that even work?"

"It just grows like that." Keith stated. He'd honestly never thought about it. It was, though- a dark purple on the top, with a more pinkish tint on the bottom. "My mom has it too."

Hunk's hands froze, momentarily leaving him baffled. "Your mom? Is she like... is she here?"

Oh. Glancing up, Keith pulled his head away, shaking it out a bit. "No. Kolivan assigned her to a deep cover mission deca-phoebs ago."

Hunk's face fell at that. "Oh."

Tilting his head, it took him a moment to understand why. He had to remind himself that on Earth, it was normal to grow up with both parents around. "It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, but aren't you like, lonely?" Hunk asked. "I mean... I know I miss my mom."

"Well... yeah." Keith admitted. "Of course I miss her. But I don't see why I would be lonely."

"You say as if you did not sulk when you first heard Kolivan was sending her away." Antok chimed in, causing his hair to bristle once more.

"I didn't- I wasn't sulking!" Keith protested.

"You curled up in the corner of your sleeping hole and did not budge for a full quintant." Antok stated. "Your mother had to drag you out to get you to eat."

Narrowing his eyes, Keith glared at him. "It wasn't _that_ bad."

"It was that bad." Antok stated.

Letting out a snort, Lance didn't even attempt to contain his laughter. "Wow. So much for your mysterious lone wolf image. I can't believe Keith was a sulky baby."

Turning on his heel, he glared at Lance, only dimly aware of the low growl he was making. Lance, on the other hand... Lance definitely noticed.

"Okay, geez, it was just a joke, calm down." Lance told him.

Ceasing his growling, Keith heaved a sigh. "Yeah, well it wasn't funny."

"See, this is what people mean when they say you have no sense of humor." Lance said. "Is that like, a Galra thing, or is that all just you?"

"I have been told I have a very keen sense of humor." Antok, the traitor, supplied.

"I think your sense of humor is just fine, Keith." Hunk assured him. "Or Kyix. It's Kyix, right? Oh man, we should really be calling you that now, shouldn't we?"

"Keith is fine." He told him. "I'm used to it."

Honestly, he really didn't mind it. He thought he would but... no. It was fine, actually. It made things feel normal in a way he was afraid that they wouldn't- and honestly, didn't understand how it was that they were.

He'd expected... he didn't know. Maybe not outright rejection, but at the very least, that they would keep their distance from him. And that would have been fine, so long as they could form Voltron at the end of the day.

But this... wasn't exactly bad.

"You know we're going to have to ask you like, a million questions." Pidge said.

Yeah, he was kind of prepared for that. "I'd be more surprised if you didn't."

"Youngling," Antok interjected, "-I assume I can leave the paladins in your care."

Blinking, Keith looked back towards him. "Yeah, sure. You should probably get back to Kolivan anyways."

"The yellow paladin is very compliant," Antok noted, "-but the green and blue are trouble. You should keep an eye on them."

Ignoring Lance's squawk of protest, Keith gave him a faint grin. "Yeah, I know."

Antok made a low humming noise, before he placed a light hand on his head. "Cause no trouble yourself either, youngling."

"I never cause trouble." Keith lied.

Letting out a chuckle, Antok merely stalked off. He watched him go, before turning on his heel, looking back towards the paladin- and instantly deciding he didn't like the look of the smile on Lance's face.

" _Youngling_ , huh?" Lance asked.

Bristling, Keith narrowed his eyes. "I'm still older than you."

"Yeah, how old are you, actually?" Hunk interjected. "I mean... the Galra can live like, a really long time, can't they?"

"I'm eighteen." Keith said. "I didn't lie about my age."

And they only lived half as long as they did now because of quintessence. But that was something to discuss at a later date.

"Well don't just stand there." Pidge told him, already taking a seat. "Take a seat."

Tilting his head, Keith watched as both Lance and Hunk sat back down, before he looped around to the other side of the table, taking a seat.

"So," he began, glancing down at the ration strips on their plates, "-you guys gonna eat that?"

Without another word, all three paladins shoved their plates at him.


	15. bonds

One freshly finished chapter, for your enjoyment! As always, thanks for reading, and sticking with me through every chapter! I don't have much to say this time around, so I will just let you all get to the new content! Until next time!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter fifteen**

 **bonds**

* * *

So Keith was purple.

That sure was a thing.

He must have been staring, because Keith paused in tearing apart the vaguely food-like strips they had been given to eat, staring back at him. He felt himself flinch, something about those golden eyes unsettling him, but he fought it down.

It was just Keith. Not some dangerous Galra poised to rip him apart, limb by limb. Just Keith. He was the same person he had been before, bad mullet and all. Heck, it was even _worse_ now, what with the weird two tone thing it had going on- the top layer was a deep purple, the bottom was... what was that, magenta? Orchid? Rachel would be able to tell better than he could.

And with _that_ pang of homesickness...

"Something on my face?" Keith had the audacity to ask, like his whole face hadn't changed in the three hours since he'd last saw him. And okay, _maybe_ that was an exaggeration- his whole face hadn't actually changed that much, his facial features were pretty much the same as they had been when he'd looked human. He might not have any pupils, but the shape of his eyes hadn't changed, and the only thing that _had_ changed- his nose, which was flatter than he remembered- didn't do much to change the overall shape of his face.

But look- three hours ago, Keith had been human. Or he'd _looked_ it, at least. And now he was Galra, all claws and sharp teeth and purple fur.

Okay, so he didn't really have fur, except for like, on his head, which was super weird, but listen- he was still purple and that was a fact.

A fact he could deal with. It was an adjustment, that's all.

"You mean aside from your ugly mug?" Lance retorted. "Nah, just wondering how you can even stomach that stuff."

Keith just blinked, tearing off half a strip of dried meat. "It's good."

"It literally has no flavor." Lance shot back.

"Sorry Keith, but I'm with Lance on this one." Hunk chimed in.

Keith merely blinked again, swallowing. "Earth food has too much flavor."

"Keith!" Hunk gasped, sounding betrayed. "I thought we were making a breakthrough!"

The only reason he actually knew Keith was looking at Hunk was because he literally turned his head to do so. He totally could not track where those eyes of his were looking. Maybe he wasn't a science geek like Pidge, but he couldn't help but wonder just how they worked. Did they actually have no pupils or like, could they just not see them?

Weird. He hadn't thought about it before. Even while Antok had been showing them around the base- although, to be fair, what with the one eye, he had to do a lot of head turning so it was kind of easy to figure out where he was looking. He wondered if that was like, a common Galra thing or not, because he hadn't seen any others with just the one eye.

Or the _tail_ , for that matter.

Heck, there were a lot of Galra around here that didn't seem to fit the mold. He was pretty sure he'd seen at least one with what had to be _wings_ of some kind.

Maybe Pidge was right. Maybe they really _didn't_ know a whole lot about the Galra. Heck, he'd been guilty of thinking of them as one whole, mindless mass of evil. Which, to be fair- it wasn't exactly like they had any examples to the contrary. Not before Ulaz.

Or well, he guess technically they _did_ , but they hadn't known Keith was Galra, so you know what? It didn't count. It totally didn't count.

"I'm not saying it's bad," Keith told Hunk, "-I just don't see why it's necessary."

"Keith, I just want you to know how much those words are hurting my heart right now." Hunk told him, placing a hand over his heart as if to emphasize. "Right here. They're hurting me right here."

"I know where your heart is Hunk." Keith stated, and he was pretty sure he had just rolled his eyes. He had to have picked that up while on Earth, because there was no way that was a common Galra thing, what with the- you know, the lack of pupils and all that.

"What, cooking not a big Galra thing?" Pidge asked.

Tilting his head, Keith frowned. "Not really. It's more efficient this way. Rations like these can be taken on missions. Not everyone has time to sit down in the mess hall and eat."

"Well yeah," Hunk admitted, "-but is it _always_ rations?"

Keith hummed, ripping off another chunk of a dried fruit strip. "Not always. Sometimes during festivals, Kolivan arranges for a real meal."

" _Real_ , huh?" Lance noted, arching a brow. "So you admit this stuff's not actual food."

"It's food." Keith said flatly. "And you know what I mean."

Yeah, he did. But he was _not_ going to pass on the chance to mess with Keith- he might be all purple and Galra-y now, but as far as he was concerned, that didn't change anything. They were rivals, dammit, regardless of whatever _Keith_ might think.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he wouldn't have to face the crushing truth Keith's revelation had brought about- that he'd probably _never_ considered him his rival at all. Not at the Garrison, not with Voltron. Why would he? He was an actual _alien_ , for Pete's sake- he grew up flying ships out of a base that was stationed in between _two black holes_.

Of course he'd never be able to match up.

And that was depressing. Time to think about something else, Lance.

"Festivals?" Hunk asked, and Lance muttered a silent thank you for the subject change. "You guys have those?"

"Sort of." Keith frowned. "Kolivan tries to keep as many old traditions alive as he can, but it's not easy. Zarkon's second reign ushered in a cultural reformation that eliminated most of the old ways. Anything that wasn't related to the expanse of the Empire was left behind, even outlawed on some occasions. I think the only old tradition the Galra Empire has left is the Kral Zera, and even _that_ hasn't been hosted for centuries."

He recited it like he was reciting a textbook, Lance thought.

"Wait," Pidge frowned, "- _second_ reign?"

Keith blinked, tilting his head. "...yes?"

"Yeah, you kind of lost us with that." Lance remarked. "What do you mean by _second_?"

Blinking, Keith frowned, opening his mouth to answer, only to quickly shut it, his gauntlet making a faint beeping sound. He didn't miss the way his ears twitched at it, kind of like he'd seen Allura and Coran's do sometimes, whenever they caught a distant sound- usually one that no one else could hear.

(He wouldn't admit it, but he'd kind of secretly been hoping for fuzzy ears. Like Sendak's.)

Holding up a finger, Keith turned around, bringing up a screen. He could just make out Kolivan's image, before his own gauntlet gave off a beep.

Bringing it up, Shiro's image flickered into focus. Huh. Guess their meeting was over, then.

"Lance, Hunk, Pidge, think you three can come down to the meeting area?" Shiro asked. "We've just about finished sorting out the tasks that need to be taken care of for this plan to work."

"Copy that, team leader." Lance said, resisting the urge to give him a mock salute, but just the moniker was enough to cause Shiro to arch a brow in mild amusement. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Great." Shiro said. "Kolivan should be contacting Keith, so-"

"Keith's actually with us, Shiro." Pidge piped up.

Blinking, a faint look of relief crossed the black paladin's face. "That's good to hear. How...?"

"He's fine." Hunk supplied. "Definitely purple, but fine."

Something in Shiro's shoulders eased at the confirmation. He knew why he was asking- the mention of _surgery_ had caused him to stiffen, one hand straying to his right arm. He kind of got it- nobody exactly had to ask to know that Shiro had gone through some pretty traumatic stuff during his year as a Galra prisoner.

Any mention of _surgery_ probably sufficed to make him nervous.

"Good to hear it." Shiro said. "I won't hold you up."

The communications cut off from their leader's end. Lance glanced up towards Keith. He'd finished his call with Kolivan, an expression on his face that could only be apprehension. No way he _hadn't_ overheard that.

"You okay, Keith?" Pidge asked.

Blinking, Keith slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, fine."

He was lying. Badly. Lance couldn't help but wonder just how he'd managed to keep them in the dark for so long when he sucked this bad at it.

And here he thought that the Blade of Marmora were supposed to be like, elite spies or something. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Keith had just been making shit up as he went along. Granted, he was sort of getting the impression that Keith was like, a _baby agent_ or something, but still- his poker face could use some work.

"Anyways," Keith got up before anyone could say anything else, like he didn't want to talk about it, "-we should probably get going. Kolivan's not a fan of being kept waiting."

And that got Lance to his feet. Because thus far, his impression of the Blade of Marmora's leader was a guy that he _seriously_ did not want to piss off.

* * *

Shiro had to admit, he was a bit nervous.

When Kolivan had brought up the matter of Keith at the tail end of the initial alliance meeting, he'd kind of sensed what he was about to ask. The only thing he knew as to how Keith was keeping a human form was that he was _using something_ , in his own words- which out here, could have meant a million things.

In this case, it meant a chip.

Kolivan had given them an explanation, but he was pretty sure Allura understood it better than anyone else in the room had. When fused to the body, it could be programmed to manipulate an individual's quintessence, altering it to match that of another race's, within limitations.

Effectively, it could be used for shapeshifting. It was how Keith had not only managed to look human for so long, but also how he had fooled the bulk of the Galaxy Garrison's medical checks.

It had been designed and built by a _reazit_ , which had been quickly explained as the Galra equivalent of a human psychic, or an Altean alchemist. Allura had frowned at the latter comparison, but she did not dispute it.

Said _reazit_ was Keith's grandmother.

He'd hadn't been able to gather much information about her, other than the fact that her name had been _Svatavi_ , and that sadly, she had passed on. Felled during a mission, Kolivan mentioned briefly, though he didn't spare any details. Aside from Keith, she was the only _reazit_ the Blade of Marmora had- from what he had understood, those born with the gift within the Galra Empire were taken to become druids.

Even Allura had paled at that.

Said chip could be used for years- _decades,_ even- without faltering, and without harming the one it had been planted in. Before Keith, there had been a Blade of Marmora agent who had used it for the upwards of seventy years, infiltrating the Unilu, and using said connections to divert resources to the Blades. They only had to stop because the Galra Empire literally wiped out the supply chain overnight.

What Kolivan was asking was if Allura wished it to continue to be used.

He hadn't missed the way Keith had gone pale at the question, nor the way he had dropped his gaze, not looking at any of them. Like he had already given up hope on getting a positive response.

It struck him then, that Keith _missed_ being Galra.

It _should_ have been obvious. If he had been forced to live as a Galra for years, he would miss being human too. But somehow, he'd never even stopped to consider it.

Maybe it was because as much as Keith had admitted to it, it was hard to imagine him as _being_ Galra. He had no frame of reference for what he might look like- although the Galra he had encountered after coming out of the corrupted wormhole kept coming back to mind.

They had been awfully alike.

Lifting her head, Allura sensed his gaze on her. He looked away, fixing it back straight ahead. She'd made the right choice, but he couldn't help but wonder why.

Kolivan had been right- that from the perspective of the universe, it would have been better if all of the paladins were human. Or at the very least, not Galra.

He'd been certain that Allura would agree with that.

But also... if he had to be honest, he was a bit nervous about seeing Keith. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he couldn't exactly deny that he'd been through hell at the hands of the Galra Empire. His right arm was testament to that, a permanent reminder that he wasn't quite the same person he had been going in.

So to see _Keith_ as Galra...

He'd probably be fine, but the lingering possibility was there.

The door to the meeting room opened, and Shiro looked up. Pidge was first, filing in and taking the same seat next to Allura she had the first time. Lance followed behind her, taking the seat next to Pidge, and Hunk came behind him, taking the seat across from Allura.

Then came Keith.

He recognized it was him right away. Even if he hadn't been in the civilian clothes he'd fetched from the Castle for him, and had instead been in Blade armor, he'd probably still have recognized him just as quick. The shape of his face, his body type and height, the style of his hair... none of those things had changed.

He also looked remarkably like Krolia. The markings on his cheeks, the ears, the two toned hair... his pupils had vanished, which wasn't something he'd expected, but if anything, the resemblance between the two had only increased, even if what had linked them at first was now gone. Maybe his gut instinct had been right- maybe they were related.

He felt himself relax.

At the same time, he sensed Allura stiffen. Gaze flickering towards her, he took note of the hard set of her jaw, not quite looking at Keith, yet somehow unable to tear her eyes away from him at the same time. As if visual confirmation meant that she could no longer deny the truth that was in front of her.

He wanted to say something to Keith, but now wasn't the time. After.

Kolivan lifted his head, looking towards the red paladin. "Kyix."

Keith exhaled, trying to ignore the pointed look he was getting from Allura. Instead, he took the seat closest to Kolivan, just as he had the first time around. "You called?"

Inclining his head, Kolivan transitioned into business seamlessly. It was easy to tell that he had already been doing this for thousands of years, a fact that was still mind boggling to him. "Yes. We have made some arrangements."

"As you know," Allura began, her voice sharp enough to make Keith flinch, though he wasn't sure she'd done it on purpose, "-in order for this plan to succeed, we will need to build a teleduv large enough to transport Zarkon's ship."

"So, more scaultrite, right?" Hunk asked.

"Yes." Allura told him. "A lot more."

Hunk perked up, looking a bit hopeful. "Am I sensing a trip back to the space mall here?"

"I am afraid not." Allura said. "While the Blade of Marmora has some scaultrite in their own reserves, it is nowhere near enough to construct a teleduv of this size. We will have to get some the old fashioned way."

Hunk chewed on his lip, suddenly nervous. "...and that would be?"

"Going into the belly of a Weblum." Keith half-muttered.

"Kyix is correct." Kolivan stated. "Which is why he will be tasked with retrieving it alongside you, paladin Hunk."

"Wait," holding up a hand, Hunk frowned, "-are you saying I have to go into the belly of some... what exactly _is_ a Weblum anyways? Is it like a Balmera? Please tell me it's like a Balmera."

"Space worm." Keith remarked, crinkling his nose. "Eats planets. Dead ones."

"...a space worm." Hunk repeated.

"Yup." Keith told him. "Real riot."

Hunk cringed, but wisely chose not to say anything else, eyes darting towards Kolivan, and then up towards where Antok lingered behind him, remaining standing.

"As for the rest of you," Allura began, frowning at the interruption, "-Lance, you will take Pidge and Shiro in the blue lion to rescue a prisoner from a high security Galra prison facility."

"A prisoner?" Pidge asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Slav." Shiro told her.

Pidge blinked. "You mean the genius that Ulaz mentioned? The one who built the gravity generator?"

"Wait," Keith frowned, "-Slav got captured?"

"Several phoebs ago." Kolivan informed him.

Keith cringed at that, even harder than he had at the mention of the Weblum. He honestly couldn't recall a single time that he'd looked more visibly disgusted, and for a moment, he couldn't help but wonder what type of person this _Slav_ was. All he knew about him was that he was a genius engineer on par with the Olkari, if not better.

And if the Blade of Marmora thought of him as a valuable asset, then he probably was. So Keith's reaction was a little... well, curious.

"So, escort duty." Lance said. "Right, I can do that. What will you be doing, princess?"

Allura gave him a faint smile. "I will return to the Balmera. We will be in need of a crystal."

Coran would head to Olkarion, make arrangements with the Olkari. The Castle of Lions had blueprints for the teleduv stored in its archives, so they would need those.

"So when do we leave?" Pidge asked.

"As soon as it is safe for your ship to depart." Kolivan remarked. "In the meantime, you are welcome to make use of our base."

"Am I to assume that we will still need escorts?" Allura asked.

"No." Kolivan said simply. "Now that the terms of our alliance have been worked out, you can come and go as you please. With a few exceptions."

"Exceptions?" Allura asked, narrowing her eyes. "Like what?"

"Restricted areas." Kolivan stated. "I would much rather avoid having one of your paladins get into an accident."

"If you were to fall into the base's main power generator," Antok supplied, "-there would not be a trace of you left to clean up. Very efficient."

Allura merely inclined her brows. "Duly noted."

"Yeah, yeah, definitely noted." Hunk agreed.

"Good." Kolivan said, rising to his feet. "Unless you have anything else to add, Princess Allura, I believe we can adjourn this meeting."

Allura's gaze briefly flickered towards Keith, before she looked back towards Kolivan. "I believe that is all. Assuming this virus of yours works, this will provide us with the best shot yet that we have had to take down Zarkon."

"It will work." Kolivan insisted.

Allura merely frowned. "Let us hope."

Sensing the tension quickly building in the air, Shiro got to his feet. "Right. Paladins, dismissed. It's been a long day, but do try to stay out of trouble."

"Keith," catching the red paladin's eye, he gave him a faint smile, "-you have a minute?"

Blinking, Keith slowly nodded his head. "Sure."

"I won't hold you up for too long." Shiro told him. "This is your first time back home in awhile, I'm sure there's plenty of things you want to catch up on."

Something in Keith eased at those words. Turning his head, he looked towards Kolivan, who merely inclined his own. A faint smile twitching at the edge of his lips, Keith turned back towards him. "Guess we can talk."

"Know any places around here that are good for that?" Shiro asked.

He swore Keith almost seemed to light up at that, quickly nodding his head. He took that as his cue to file in behind him- he didn't know if Keith had just specifically lead them on a winding route to the meeting room, or if the base was just designed that way, but somehow, he got the feeling it was pretty easy to get lost around here if you didn't know where you were going.

And he didn't get the advantage of having the grand tour.

He fell into step behind Keith. The curl of his hair over the collar of his jacket was the same, but the contrast was less stark now- the pink purple of his hair was less vibrant against the white of his jacket's high collar. As if sensing his eyes on him, he twitched it up, peeking back towards him.

"Ilun said you got them for me."

Ilun? Probably another Blade, Shiro quickly determined. He vaguely recalled handing them off to a short, female Blade, so that must have been her.

"Thought you might need something to change into." Shiro told him. "Although I guess you probably actually had clothes of your own here, now that I think about it."

Keith gave him a faint smile. "Yeah."

They didn't say anything much after that- he was content to let Keith guide him to wherever he was taking him. The mood between them was an easy one- and he was grateful for it.

He'd have hated it if it turned out he was just all talk.

But he was... yeah, he was fine with this. With Keith like this. This was the real Keith- and frankly, Shiro was just glad he was getting the chance to get to know him. It couldn't have been easy, keeping it a secret for so long, on a strange alien planet.

His lips twitched a bit at that. To Keith, _they_ were the aliens.

"We're here."

Looking up, Shiro blinked. The room they were in was both large and completely empty, though Keith was already busy tapping away at some controls. Before he could even ask, the air around them shimmered, the walls melting into a completely different place.

He recognized it at once as the view from the Galaxy Garrison's rooftop.

"I sent them this one." Keith remarked, folding his arms in front of him.

"I- this is the view from the Garrison." Shiro stated. "What is...?"

"Technically, its a training room." Keith told hm. "It uses hard light holograms to simulate various terrains so that we can practice our skills on difficult terrains. But there are a few Blades who were born planetside that use it for stuff like this, so they don't get stir crazy between missions."

"Huh." Shiro frowned. "And you sent them a panoramic view of Earth's horizon."

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith chanced a faint grin. It wasn't that different, he thought, from what he was used to. "I liked it."

"Glad to hear it." Shiro remarked. "Guess Earth wasn't all bad then."

"Maybe." Keith admitted. "It's still backwater, though."

"I can't really dispute that." Shiro admitted.

Keith just nodded. "You said you wanted to talk?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Shiro said. "We might not be going anywhere for another two days, but that's still a pretty tight timeline. Was your surgery...?"

"My surgery was fine." Keith said, maybe a little too quick for his tastes, but maybe he was just in a hurry to reassure him everything was okay. "It just stings a little, that's all. It'll be better by tomorrow. Galra heal quickly."

"Just wanted to make sure." Shiro said. "Getting scaultrite sounds pretty tough."

Keith grimaced. "That's one way of putting it."

"And how would you put it?" Shiro asked.

"Disgusting." Keith said frankly.

Snorting, Shiro grinned. "Which is why Hunk will probably need you."

Humming, Keith nodded his head. "I never said I wasn't going. I'm still a paladin."

Brow furrowing, he dropped his gaze. "I think."

"You are." Shiro reassured him. "The red lion knew you were Galra when it chose you. Allura knows that."

"She's probably not happy about it." Keith said.

"No," Shiro admitted, "-she's not. But she just needs some time to digest the information."

He was pretty sure that universally hating the Galra had been supporting Allura all this time. The shock of betrayal was probably easier to handle if she viewed it as inevitable- letting herself believe that the Galra were evil was probably easier than thinking that those she had ounce trusted had all turned on her. To be shown otherwise...

...all things said, she was handling it pretty well.

Looking up at him, Keith frowned. "Do you think she hates me?"

"No." Shiro said, resolute. "I don't think she hates you, Keith. She knows you better than that."

Snorting, Keith quirked a brow. "I haven't exactly been that social with her."

"No," he admitted, "-but I think your actions have spoken enough."

Considering that, Keith leveled his gaze with his. "What about you?"

Blinking, Shiro frowned. "What about me?"

"I mean..." Trailing off, Keith spread out his arms, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, "-me. Are you okay with me? Like this?"

Biting back a comment that he thought that was obvious, it occurred to Shiro that maybe to Keith, it wasn't. "Like I told you, you being Galra doesn't change anything."

Staring at him, Keith eventually looked away. He'd spent a year as a prisoner of the Galra Empire, so he'd gotten pretty good at being able to glean where they were looking.

"So," Shiro said, changing the topic, "-you grew up here?"

Without looking at him, Keith nodded. "Yeah. Just me and my mom."

"And a couple dozen Blades." He added, with a faint smile.

"Your mom, huh?" Shiro asked. "What's she like?"

Looking up, Keith quirked a brow. "You already met her."

"Huh," Shiro said, knowing right away that he meant Krolia, "-you two look alike."

"We get that a lot." Keith said.

"I'm guessing your father wasn't in the picture." Shiro observed.

He hadn't meant anything by it, but Keith went rigid at the remark. "No. He's dead."

He said it so coldly, that he couldn't help but wonder how much of his original theory had been true. Whoever Keith's father was, he didn't seem to care much that he was dead. Guess that negativity he'd picked up on hadn't just been in his head.

He also knew better than to press.

"I'm guessing that's probably why Krolia kept asking about you." Shiro said, changing the topic instead.

Keith blinked. "She asked about me?"

"Not you specifically." Shiro noted. "But she did ask."

He brightened at that. "It's been awhile since we've seen each other. We're not supposed to have contact while she's in deep cover."

"Sounds rough." Shiro observed. From what he had gleaned, Keith's age was one of the few things he hadn't outright lied about on his enlistment form- being separated from your only parent at a young age couldn't have been easy, even if there was no way Keith could have possibly been truly lonely on a base with this many people on it.

No wonder he seemed so close to the other Blades.

"That's what being a Blade is." Keith told him. "We're fighting an impossible war. Or we were, before Voltron."

 _Impossible war_. The words gave him pause, and he realized that Keith was right. Before Voltron came along, fighting against the Galra Empire really had to have seemed like an impossible war- a fight that they could never win. The odds were so wildly out of their favor, that it would have been easier to give up.

But they hadn't.

Resting a hand on Keith's shoulder, Shiro smiled. "You're a part of that too, you know."

Looking up, Keith just stared at him for a long moment. He wondered briefly at the swoops of red at the corner of his eyes, if they were from his father, or some other relative. Krolia hadn't had them.

"I know." He finally said.

Nodding his head, Shiro gave his shoulder a pat. "Good to hear it. But I did promise not to take up too much of your time, so I'll let you go now. But Keith?"

"Yeah?"

Motioning towards the walls, he gave the red paladin a genuine smile. "Thanks for this."

* * *

Watching Shiro go, Keith exhaled.

That... could have gone worse. Honestly, he didn't even know why he had been so worried- Shiro had already told him that the fact that he was Galra didn't bother him. It wasn't like he thought he was _lying_ to him.

But he'd still been anxious.

He'd been anxious around the paladins too, but it hadn't been as bad. He didn't know them as well, not as well as he knew Shiro. And Allura... he'd be satisfied if they could just reach some sort of understanding. He wasn't expecting much from her.

But Shiro had been fine. So had the paladins, for that matter. Sure, the hair thing had been a little weird, but after lying to them for so long, he guessed he could endure a little weirdness between them.

It almost made him want to laugh. What had he even been so worried about?

Shiro had been right- him being Galra really _hadn't_ changed anything. Nothing that mattered, at any rate. Sure, Allura was bound to treat him more cooly now, but their relationship had never been that great to begin with, and honestly?

He could understand why she would.

They probably did need to talk, to work things out... but not now. Shiro was right- it had been awhile since he was home. If he was only going to be here for another two days, he'd better make the most of it while he still had the chance.

With that in mind, he made a beeline for Ilun's quarters. He had a promise to keep.

To his surprise, he found that it was Vrek, not Ilun, who was waiting for him. And no child.

For a second, he was worried, before he quickly concluded that there was no way Vrek would be so casually sitting around, reading a mission briefing if there had been a problem with either his wife or child.

Vrek merely locked eyes with him. Unlike his wife, he had pupils, but unlike his mother's, they were thin, like narrow pricks set against yellow sclera. "Come looking for Ilun?"

"I promised I'd see her youngling." Keith said. " _Your_ youngling."

"Just missed them." Vrek told him. "Went up to Naveera's."

Making a faint hum, Keith's gaze flicked across their quarters. The pair had linked their sleeping holes, creating a single vast one. It looked recent- but Vrek had been sent away on his mission maybe a phoeb before Keith had been sent to Earth. He wouldn't have been around to see the birth of his own child.

But that was just how things worked around here. It was normal. They couldn't spare the Blades, just for something like that. Ilun herself would have been given time to bond with her newborn, and Kolivan would never send anyone who was pregnant into danger, but the father was a different matter.

Especially Vrek, who was one of their foremost weapons specialists.

"So," Vrek began, eying him, "-I hear you're a paladin."

Lips quirking into a grin, Keith shrugged. "Might be."

"Little mischief-making Kyix, a paladin." Vrek teased, and for once, he allowed it- after all, Ilun was also _aket_ , and Vrek had married her regardless. "Who would have thought. The universe has a strange sense of humor."

"Tell that to Kolivan." Keith remarked. "I'm pretty sure he was ready to yank out his fur at the news."

That earned him a laugh. "Since when have you never not garnered that reaction from him?"

"There's probably been an occasion." Keith said. "Can't say when, but it must have happened at least once."

"Forgive me if I do not take your word for it, youngling." Vrek teased. "Be off with you. Go amongst your kind."

Crinkling his nose, Keith frowned. "I'm not really a youngling anymore."

"That is what all younglings say." Vrek said simply.

Narrowing his eyes, he knew there was nothing he could say to that. He could think of at least one rude Earth gesture he could use in response, but out here, it wouldn't exactly have any meaning.

Besides, it would probably only prove Vrek's point.

Excusing himself, Keith made his way up to the nursery. Children were raised there until their first cycle of life, after which they would begin living with their parents. But it also served as a place for parents to leave their children when they were on missions, or were otherwise unable to tend to them on their own.

He hadn't been raised in the nursery, but that went without saying.

Maybe it seemed to contrary to his image, but he did actually like kids. It was expected for the younger members of the Blade to assist with looking after the children- and given the circumstances, that basically amounted to him right now.

When they got a little older, he'd be in charge of their training. Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be- with his new paladin status, that was now up in the air.

He came to an abrupt halt just outside of the nursery. Swallowing, Keith felt his muscles tense, as he tried to process the unexpected sight.

Allura.

He knew she had been given free reign to come and go where she pleased- but he just hadn't expected to find her _here_. He'd expected... he didn't know, exactly. That she might hole up in the bunk room that she and the paladins had been given for the duration of their stay, or that maybe she would spend all her time in the archives, sorting through several centuries worth of information.

Maybe even take out her frustrations in one of the training rooms.

Just... not here, in front of the nursery.

 _Lotor_ was half-Altean. He bit down on his lip, trying to avoid making that link, knowing it was absurd the moment it popped into his head. The princess was nothing like Lotor. Whatever she was here for, it wasn't for _that_.

Stirring, Allura looked up at him- and to his surprise, blinked. As if she hadn't expected to see him here.

He felt himself stiffen under her gaze. "Princess."

She did much the same. "Kyix."

Right. Guess they were having that talk after all.


	16. allura

Chapter sixteen is here! It's time... time for Galra babies! Okay, so at most it's young children and a toddler and no actual babies (yet!) but listen. They're still cute. They're super cute. Parts of this chapter were one hundred percent indulgence, but who could blame me? Is there a more adorable combination than Keith with kids? No, I didn't think so.

And of course the other half is just Keith and Allura fighting to to the death. You know. Just normal alien stuff.

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter sixteen**

 **allura**

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

The question slipped out before Keith could stop it, and probably sounded more accusatory than it should. Kolivan had given the princess and the rest of the paladins relatively free access to the base, so she was allowed to come and go as she pleased- but he couldn't deny how uneasy her presence here made him.

"Is it a crime to stretch ones legs now?" Allura asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I- no. It's not." Keith said. "I just thought... nevermind, it's not important."

Allura frowned, and for a second he feared she'd challenge his words, but she did not. Instead she merely looked at him, expression bordering on unreadable. "I should ask the same of you. What are you doing here?"

Biting down a remark that he _lived_ here, Keith just grit his teeth. He couldn't tell if she meant anything by it, or if she were just genuinely curious. "I promised Ilun I'd come see her youngling."

At once, Allura's expression transformed, surprise washing over her features. "Youngling?"

Brows knitting together, Keith frowned. Did she not know what a youngling was? He didn't think the word had changed between Old and New Galran, but maybe it had. "You know... a child?"

"I know what a youngling is." Allura snapped. "I just did not expect that there would be any _here_. I was under the impression that this was a military base."

"Well... yeah." Keith admitted. "But that doesn't mean we don't have families."

Allura defused at the statement, though only a bit. "I just thought... would it not be safer to keep them somewhere else?"

He bristled at the remark, before biting down on his tongue to keep him from acting on his impulses. Allura didn't know. She hadn't meant anything by it.

"No," he said simply, "-it wouldn't."

To her credit, Allura merely stared at him for a long moment, her brows knit together. He expected her to ask, but whether it was out of disinterest or decorum, she did not.

Fine by him. The less he talked about his father, the better. Somehow he didn't think Allura would be wild about the idea of allowing a traitor's son to continue to be a paladin, even if he was just as much of a victim of his father's betrayal as the children he had taken from the original nursery base were.

At least he'd _lived_.

"Might I come with you?"

The question caught him off guard, and for a brief second, he felt something clench in his heart, fretful memories skirting the edge of his awareness. But then he let himself breathe- Allura was no Prince Lotor, and besides, they didn't even know if his father's actions had been done under his direct orders, or if he just thought that offering the prince a batch of _reazit_ children would be a strong testament to his loyalty.

He guessed the non- _reazit_ kids were just a bonus.

"I," Keith began, careful to gauge his tone, "-I guess?"

Allura frowned. "Is there some reason you do not wish me to?"

"No," Keith said quickly, "-it's not that. It's just... why?"

Allura gave it a bit of thought. "Curiosity, mostly. If we are to continue to work together, I would... like to understand a bit more about you, I suppose. And not simply the person you were masquerading as."

That... wasn't an answer he'd been expecting. He just wished he could glean a little bit more from Allura's face, but she was keeping her expressions closely guarded, as if she was afraid of giving away too much. He couldn't tell if that was simply her default, or if she were doing it by choice- maybe even both.

"I wasn't _masquerading_." Keith told her. "It's not like there's a real Keith Kogane."

"But you _were_ pretending to be a human." Allura noted.

"I- yeah. I was doing that." Keith admitted. "Sorry."

He wasn't even sure why he had apologized. It wasn't like he had _planned_ on becoming a paladin, or maintaining the masquerade of being human for so long. He was just following orders.

Except at the same time, he sort of did. He had lied, orders or not.

Allura merely hummed, not reacting to his apology one way or another. "Well? Are you going to introduce me to this youngling?"

"Youngling _s_ ," Keith said absently, "-there's more than one."

Allura didn't so much as blink. "A nursery then, I take it? I thought I smelled the _dulcix_ plant. Though I am surprised that any of them survived the destruction of Daibazaal."

It shouldn't have surprised him that the princess would know what a _dulcix_ plant was, or what it was used for, but it still somehow did. The Blade of Marmora's founding leader had taken great pains to preserve several specimens of the plant, though Keith didn't know why. It didn't exactly seem like it would have been the most pressing concern at the time.

Maybe he just thought they all needed a bit of good fortune.

"A few did." Keith told her. "We grow them here."

The stalks of the plant gave off a spicy sweet aroma that was said to bring health and good fortune- and thus, they were typically kept in nurseries, and other places where children gathered. There were a few in the medical ward too, even though the properties of the plant were pure superstition.

"I see." Allura said, her words strangely guarded.

Oh. It took him a second to put it together, but she was probably thinking about Altea. He opened his mouth, suddenly feeling the urge to tell her that there might be some strains of Altean plant life that had been salvaged from its destruction, but he quickly shut it. He didn't know that for sure, and the last thing he needed to be doing now was making empty promises to her.

He'd already hurt her by lying. He didn't want to make things worse.

Besides, getting her hopes up just seemed cruel. He hadn't forgotten the way she had clung to the promises of her father's corrupted AI, to the point where she had nearly driven them all into an exploding star. He _definitely_ hadn't forgotten how hurt she'd been when she had found out they were all lies.

Not knowing what else to say, Keith just shuffled forward, pressing his hand against the access panel. He felt the princess' eyes on him all the while, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He desperately wanted to ask why she had let him have the chip taken out, but now didn't seem like the right time.

She allowed him to enter first, seeming almost wary. He almost wanted to laugh. What did she think was going to happen, that she would be assaulted by toddlers?

He spotted Ilun at the same time she saw him. She was sitting back in a chair, a fuzzy bundle in her arms that he quickly determined had to be her child. She smiled at the sight of him, but she wasn't able to greet him, simply because someone beat her to it- _two_ someones, in fact.

The two person chorus of _Kyix_ was all the warning he got before the pair of children hurled themselves at him, deep throated play growls at the ready.

Yugdul and Taiche, he realized. They had to be at least seven cycles old now, if not eight. When he had left for Earth, they had still been small, but now they were just barely shorter than he was. Yugdul was painfully awkward with it, limbs suggesting that his growth spurt was far from over. But he was scaled, like Antok, and it was not so strange that they would grow to be quite large.

Taiche felt more complete, but Galra who did not possess fur or scales generally went through several steady growth spurts before reaching their full heights. Not dissimilar to humans- it was why he still held out a faint hope of getting taller.

They were both strong enough that their combined force nearly knocked him off his feet, and the only reason he didn't let them was because Allura was here. He beamed, responding to their growls with a loud but playful snarl, Yugdul responding to the sound by biting his shoulder. It was a play gesture, and didn't hurt- he was old enough to know just how much force to use.

He was never well enough growing up to play fight himself, but sometimes his mother and Antok would allow him to gnaw on their arms, keeping straight faces all the while.

Taiche opted to use words instead. "You came back! Yugdul thought you would be gone forever."

Yugdul looked at his friend, clearly scandalized. "You agreed!"

Keith just chuckled, ruffling Taiche's hair and rubbing Yugdul's crest. "Why does everyone keep treating it like I was exiled?"

"You were!" Yugdul argued. "Earth is so far!"

"Kyix wasn't exiled," Ilun supplied, "-he was sent on a very important mission."

"You found the blue lion, right?" Taiche asked. "Is it here? Can we see it?"

Keith stiffened at the question, eyes unconsciously darting in Allura's direction. In doing so, he drew the attention of the children towards her, the pair clutching at the fabric of his shirt at the sight of the unfamiliar woman.

Right. They'd never seen an Altean before.

"Princess Allura," Ilun blinked, more surprised than wary, in a way that made Keith feel extra guilty for feeling that way, "-what brings you here?"

The smile Allura wore was regal and graceful, but Keith didn't think it was genuine. _Diplomatic_ , maybe. Ilun recognized it as such, a small knot forming between her brows.

"I thought I would do a bit of exploring," Allura replied, "-when I ran into Kyix here."

"Princess?" Yugdul asked, peeking his head out, his vice grip on his shirt growing lax. "You're a princess?"

Something in Allura's smile softened at the child's question, and Keith felt something in him relax in turn. "Yes. I am Princess Allura, of planet Altea."

"I thought Altea was destroyed." Taiche blurted out.

To her credit, Allura didn't so much as flinch. "A long time ago, yes."

"Oh," Taiche frowned, "-I'm sorry. You must be sad."

Allura blinked, like she hadn't expected him to say that. "I- yes. I suppose I am."

"It is good to have you here, princess. Please, feel welcome." Ilun said, shifting the child in her arms. "This is my daughter, Ain. She will be three cycles old this year."

 _Ain_. Keith looked up at her. "You named her after Vrek's mentor?"

"It seemed fitting." Ilun remarked, lightly pressing her child's nose, Ain letting out a pleased sounding trill at the action. "She has spots, just like her. See?"

Lifting up Ain's shirt to expose her belly, she showed them that she did, in fact, have spots. Unlike the deep violet fur that covered most of her body, the spots were a pale purple, even paler than his own shade of lavender.

Lowering her daughter's shirt, Ilun smiled. "When she is old enough, we will pass her blade down to her."

"I got my blade!" Yugdul dutifully reported. "Regris gave it to me a phoeb ago! Taiche hasn't gotten his yet."

Taiche glowered, letting out a low growl. "I just need to try the test again, that's all. I'll get it next time. Antok said he would give me his brother's if I worked hard enough."

Keith blinked at that, before smiling. That sounded like Antok. To be granted the blade of the second in command's brother would be a high honor, so it was no wonder Taiche was looking forward to it. He had always been a bit slower than Yugdul in training, so Antok had probably made the offer to motivate him.

"By blade," Allura asked, sounding genuinely inquisitive, "-do you mean the luxite blade you all carry?"

"Yeah!" Yugdul said. "Do you want to see mine, princess?"

"Oh," Allura blinked, caught off guard by the question- whatever diplomatic training she got must not have involved children, "-I... yes, I suppose I would."

Yugdul hissed with pleasure, drawing it with a flash that made Allura's shoulders jump. She quickly covered it up, kneeling down so that she could get a better look at the blade that the young Galra presented to her, beaming broadly.

"It looks very nice." Allura told him. "Does it not glow?"

"I can't awaken it yet." Yugdul told her. "Not till I go through the trials."

Allura frowned. "The trials?"

"The Trials of Marmora." Ilun informed her. "All who wish to become members must first past the trials."

"And this allows you to... awaken your blades?" Allura inquired.

"Something like that." Keith said, knowing his tone was a bit curt. He didn't really feel like going into details about the trials. He'd rather not remember his own.

"I see," Allura noted, carefully standing up straight, "-it is a lovely blade, Yugdul."

Yugdul beamed wider. "I can show you how I use it!"

Allura frowned slightly at the offer. "Thank you for that lovely offer. But I should probably check on my paladins."

Keith stiffened. _Her_ paladins.

Right. Yeah. Of course he wouldn't be included in that. Biting down on his lip, he gave the princess a stiff nod, barely paying attention to the way Yugdul's face fell. "Do you know how to get back?"

"Kolivan provided me with a map." Allura informed him. "I should be able to manage."

"Will you come back to visit?" Yugdul asked. "You haven't met Nuv or the baby yet."

Baby? Keith blinked. Last he'd heard, _Nuv_ was the baby. He wasn't even a cycle old yet when he had left for Earth. But there was another baby?

"Or Naveera!" Taiche added. "She went to find Nuv! He ran away because he hates baths."

Allura laughed at that- it was faint, but it was an _actual_ laugh. Keith perked at the sound of it. Perhaps Allura's hatred for the Galra wasn't as deeply rooted as he thought.

"I will not be here for very long," Allura said, "-but if I find the time, I may yet."

Both Yugdul and Taiche perked up at the promise, waving to Allura eagerly as she said her goodbyes. Keith lingered in the doorway, watching her until she disappeared around a corner, brows drawn tight in thought.

"Kyix," Ilun called out to him, snapping his attention away, "-do you wish to hold her?"

Shoulders slumping, Keith allowed some of the tension in his shoulders to wash out. He knew what Allura's problem with him was, but it wasn't like there was much he could do about it. It wasn't like he could change her mind, or do anything about the fact that he had lied to her.

Or that he was Galra.

"Yeah," he gave Ilun a weak smile, "-I'd love to."

Ilun carefully passed over her daughter to him, the small child detaching herself from her mother to allowed Keith to hold her. She made a happy preening noise, hooking tiny claws into the fabric of his jacket before burying her head in it. He wondered if it still smelled at all like Earth's deserts.

He remembered liking the scent.

"She's not said a word yet." Ilun noted. "But we think it is just because she has nothing to say. She is quite clever."

"I'm sure she'll be making explosives in no time." Keith grinned. Those were Ilun's specialty- there was no one better than her at building bombs, not within the Blades, at least.

Pidge could probably build a mean bomb, if she set her mind to it, but she'd yet to try. The thought was only vaguely terrifying.

The princess now gone, Yugdul and Taiche returned to their earlier activity- studying. A quick glance at the screens of their tablets suggested that they were learning about plants, so it had to be either the lesson on how to make impromptu medicine or impromptu poison. There hadn't been much for him to do in the medical ward other than study, so he remembered both well.

Regris had turned it into a game- a simulation where you either lived or died based on what you made. And judging from Yugdul's sour expression, and Taiche's laughter, he'd just died.

"Not until her hand eye coordination is more... coordinated." Ilun noted, then tilted her head. "You seem troubled."

"It's nothing." Keith said, and at once, he knew he'd said it too quickly.

Ilun simply gave him a skeptical look. "Does this have something to do with the paladins?"

"No," Keith said, "-no, the paladins are fine. It's just..."

"The princess?" Ilun finished, Keith nodding in reply. "Have you tried speaking with her?"

"Not really." Keith admitted. "Haven't had the chance."

"Haven't had the chance, or haven't tried to make one?" Ilun asked.

Chewing on his lip, Keith avoided looking at Ilun. "Both. I don't- I'm not sure what I'm supposed to _say_ to her."

Ilun merely heaved a long sigh. "Have you tried not using words?"

Looking up, Keith blinked. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean," Ilun told him, tapping at the hilt of her own blade, "-is that we have another way of communicating. If this Altean princess is half the diplomat her people were once said to be, she'll respect that."

"You... want me to fight the princess?" Keith asked, uncertain. Sure, he knew the princess was a capable fighter, but that didn't sound like it would do him much good. Wouldn't that just be playing right into her perception of him? He was Galra, so of course he used violence in place of words.

"It's either that," Ilun said, "-or you spend the next few quintants fumbling around her. Words are not exactly your forte, Kyix."

She had a point. Considering it, Keith stared down at the fuzzy bundle in his arms, the small Galra having apparently fallen asleep, oblivious to their conversation. Ilun was right about one thing- the princess _was_ a trained diplomat, he'd seen that much. If he challenged her to a match, she probably would understand the meaning of it.

And it wasn't like he had any better ideas.

"But," Ilun quickly added, as if reading his mind, "-not until tomorrow. You are still in recovery, young one."

Unable to help it, a faint growl escaped him.

* * *

"I want you to fight me, princess."

Nobody had quite known what to expect when Keith turned up at their doorstep first thing in the morning, but challenging Allura to a fight wasn't it. They all knew things were tense between the two of them, but if Shiro was honest, he didn't think that this was the best solution. But just as he was about to open his mouth to say that, Allura cut him off.

"Very well."

And if Keith's declaration had shocked them, Allura's response shocked them more.

Keith just gave her a curt nod. "Two vargas. Training room four."

Allura didn't so much as break her gaze. "I'll be there."

Turning on his heel, Keith stalked out of the room, without so much as saying anything to any of the other paladins. He was back in full Blade armor, his knife placed in a different sheath than Shiro remembered. Combined with his blank expression, for a moment he felt as alien as he looked.

Once the shock wore off, Shiro turned towards Allura. "Princess, I'm not so sure this is-"

"-a good idea?" Allura finished. "Perhaps not. But to the Galra, a challenge such as this is sacred. It would be rude of me to refuse."

"Okay, sacred challenge, I get that." Lance began. "But why does Keith want to _fight_ you?"

Pidge just stared blankly at the blue paladin. "Why _wouldn't_ Keith want to fight Allura? No offense, princess."

"None taken." Allura said simply. "I suppose I have given him reason to."

And he... couldn't exactly deny that. But part of him was surprised that Allura not only recognized that, but chose to openly _admit_ it. But then, none of them had actually spoken to her directly about the matter- she had returned to the room yesterday with such a complicated expression on her face, that none dared to ask, and she had gone to bed almost right away.

"Still, I'm sure the two of you could just talk this out." Shiro offered. "Fighting seems... a little extreme."

"I mean... it's just a spar, right?" Hunk ventured, hesitant. "Sparring's fine."

"Hunk, from what I understand of the Galra, they don't exactly _spar_." Shiro told him, watching as the yellow paladin paled just a tad. He couldn't exactly blame him- he still had vivid memories of explaining the concept to Keith during his first Garrison mandated self defense course.

He'd still wound up dislocating Cadet Griffin's shoulder. He hadn't even looked that sorry about it.

It wasn't that he was afraid the princess couldn't hold her own. She had picked him up with one hand and had hurled him basically across an entire room, and he wasn't exactly light. Maybe she didn't know which way to hold a standard Galra blaster, but he was more than confident that she could hold her own in a fight with Keith, or any other Galra for that matter.

He just didn't think this was the best way of handling things.

Even if it was definitely the _Keith_ way.

" _Enough_." Allura snapped, her voice cracking like a whip, causing the younger paladins to flinch. "I have already accepted his challenge. To go back on my word would be considered dishonorable, and I would rather avoid seeing this alliance fall apart before it even begins."

Frowning, Shiro carefully studied the princess. She might have opted to raise her voice, but she didn't exactly sound _angry_ , just determined. In fact, she'd been completely unsurprised by the challenge- if he didn't know any better, it actually sounded as if she'd _expected_ it.

Or at the very least, anticipated it.

Huh. Maybe this _wasn't_ the worst possible way this could be handled.

* * *

Lifting his head as the door slid open, Keith frowned. It wasn't like he'd expected Allura to come alone, but he was a little surprised to see the other paladins with her. In hindsight, he guessed it shouldn't- they had all been there when he had issued his challenge, and they were probably invested in seeing how the fight turned out.

They looked nervous.

Allura didn't.

"Princess," he began, "-you made it."

"I accepted your challenge, did I not?" Allura merely asked, keeping her tone level.

Keith just nodded. It wasn't like he had expected her to go back on her word. That wasn't how Allura operated.

Grabbing the staff that he had borrowed from the weapons storage, he tossed it to her. She caught it, taking a moment to assess its weight. He picked it because it seemed to be her default, something which she did not miss. "I see you have been watching me train, then."

There was no accusation in those words, but it still felt like there was. Pushing himself off the wall, Keith made his way to the middle of the training room. "I've been keeping tabs on the training deck. Needed to know how everyone was doing."

Narrowing her eyes, Allura tilted her chin back. "Of course you have."

He opened his mouth to say something, but bit it back. They were here right now because words weren't going to get them anywhere. Ilun was right- for him, this was the best method.

And honestly? When it came down to it, he and the princess weren't that different. So maybe this was the best way for her too.

"Shall we set some ground rules?" Allura asked.

"Wouldn't be a fair fight without them." Keith remarked. "Lower back's still a bit sore. We can make that a no strike zone, if that's okay with you."

"It is quite alright by me." Allura agreed. "I would rather avoid any hair pulling."

He quirked a faint grin at that. It was just such a princess-like request, that he couldn't help it. "No hair pulling. Got it."

"How will we determine the winner?" Allura inquired.

Keith considered the question. "First blood?"

That was his usual default.

Allura arched a brow at that. "Only one of us has a weapon that can actually _cut_. That hardly seems fair."

"Fair point." Keith admitted, considering it for a moment. The staff she had was made to withstand luxite, but she was right, it couldn't cut. "How are you with spears?"

"I prefer the staff," Allura admitted, "-but I have a fair bit of training with spears as well."

Nodding his head, Keith brought up a holoscreen with a wave of his hand. Pressing a few buttons, a storage compartment rose up from the floor in front of Allura, revealing an assortment of spears. Taking her time to look through them, she eventually opted for one of the shorter ones, testing its weight for a moment before exchanging it for her staff.

"Very convenient." She remarked, watching the compartment sink back into the floor. "Can they be accessed from anywhere in the room?"

The Castle had weapons in the training deck too, but they were all stored in an immobile wall panel. "We use this room for weapons training. So, yeah."

"Weapons other than your blades, I take it." Allura coolly observed.

Drawing his own, Keith gave her a curt nod. With a flash, he awakened his blade, faintly making out a slight strangled sound from Lance's direction as he did so. Right. Guess they didn't know it could do that.

"So," Keith said, "-first blood?"

Tapping her spear against the ground, Allura met his eyes. "Agreed."

He should have expected it, but the princess' quick shift into battle mode still somehow caught him off guard. She lunged forward, spear aimed for a strike that would have been deadly had he not caught it with the edge of his sword, forcing the tip of the weapon in the other direction.

She was serious.

But she wasn't the only one who was serious about this.

Shifting on his feet, Keith ducked under her second strike, sweeping at her feet, angling to knock her off them. Allura jumped back to avoid it, switching to the defensive. He wasted no time in switching to offensive, lunging at her with a strike of his own, angled low at her thighs. She defended against it, blocking it with her staff, briefly locking them into a stalemate.

Keith broke it, jumping away from her. She feinted, moving to lunge forward, but the second he moved to dodge, she instead threw her spear. It tore his hood, but otherwise missed him, lodging itself in the back wall.

Narrowing her eyes, the princess surged forward, switching to hand to hand combat in lieu of her weapon. He blocked her punch with the flat side of his sword, her sheer momentum causing him to skid back half a step. Lifting his leg, he slammed it into the pit of her stomach, too fast for her to avoid completely- it struck, but it was shallow, barely even knocking the wind out of her.

"You," Allura noted, "-have been holding back."

"I haven't exactly been at full strength." Keith retorted.

"The chip, the one you were using," Allura said, pulling herself up to her full height, "-your grandmother designed it?"

"Yeah. She was good at that sort of thing." Keith told her, readying his blade for another thrust. Allura saw it coming, rolling to avoid it, sprinting for the back wall and wrenching her spear free just in time to use it to block his follow up strike.

They locked into another stalemate, but Allura quickly broke it, stomping on his foot. He hissed, darting out of the way of her next strike, falling out of her range.

"Did she not teach you about your own _reazit_?" Allura inquired.

"No," Keith said, "-she died before I was born."

"Oh," Allura frowned, "-I am sorry."

She followed the apology with a head strike, deadly accurate. He blocked it with his blade, before ducking into her guard, returning the blow with a headbutt. She hadn't expected that, staggering backwards, momentarily disorientated- but by the time he tried to take advantage of that, she had already recovered enough to block his blow.

"I'm fine," Keith told her, "-that's just how things are. People go on missions and don't come back. It's better than her having been caught and turned into a druid."

She narrowed her eyes at that, making a thrust with her spear. He avoided it, only for her to swing it back towards him, striking him soundly in the ear with the shaft. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the shaft, holding it tight- only for Allura to let go, angling a kick towards his side that forced him to drop the spear to avoid it.

Picking the spear back up, Allura angled it towards him. "What _is_ a druid? I know that they were with Zarkon's witch on Central Command, but I have never seen anything like them within Galran ranks before."

"We don't know." Keith admitted. "Not exactly. We know they're _reazit_ Galra. We just don't know how Haggar changes them into what they are, or even _what_ they are, really. Just that they don't have any free will."

"Are they not also Galra citizens?" Allura asked, jabbing at him.

"You think that actually matters to Zarkon?" Keith asked, deflecting it.

"No," Allura admitted, "-I suppose not."

Gritting his teeth, Keith slid his blade free of Allura's spear, putting some distance between the two of them. Allura wasted no time in closing the gap, flipping her spear and slamming the butt of it into his chin. Grunting, Keith felt his teeth rattle from the force of the blow, before he grabbed it, not letting her pull the same trick from before, yanking her close.

She released the spear, jumping backwards, watching him warily. With his blade in one hand and Allura's spear in the other, he circled her, looking for a gap in her guard, and finding none.

So he'd just make one.

Throwing the spear, she ducked to the side, realizing a second too late that he was pulling her own move on her. His sword tore the fabric of her pressure suit, but the cut was too shallow, not drawing any blood. Gritting his teeth, Keith followed through with a punch to her stomach, but she caught it, twisting his arm behind him, a pained yowl escaping him.

Grunting, he slammed his head backwards, hoping to disorient her long enough for her to release his arm, but for once, he was too tall for that to be an effective strategy.

"Do you yield?"

Snarling, Keith narrowed his eyes. " _Never_."

He could have sworn Allura laughed, then simply released his arm. The sudden absence of pressure caught him off guard, allowing Allura to reclaim her spear, lunging in another attack. He blocked, but Allura held her ground, using her weight to bring the tip of the spear closer to his face, enough to nick it.

They each held their breaths- and not a second later, a thin trickle of purple blood leaked from the cut. Heaving a long sigh, Keith's shoulders slumped, withdrawing his sword and transforming it back into knife.

Sheathing it behind him, he held up his hands in defeat. "Looks like you win."

"So it would seem." Allura remarked. "You know, it occurs to me that we never established what we were fighting _for_."

Keith flinched, watching as the princess rested the butt of her spear on the ground. They hadn't, and now he'd given the opportunity to determine the meaning of their fight to its victor.

"No," Keith swallowed, worst case scenarios flashing through his mind, "-I guess we didn't."

For a long moment, Allura merely held his gaze, before she herself broke it, letting out a faint sigh. "I... must apologize to you, Kyix."

Blinking, Keith stared at her. The last thing he expected the princess to do was to _apologize_ to him. He didn't think he'd done anything to earn it.

"For what I said about Ulaz," Allura quickly clarified, "-I was wrong. His sacrifice was noble, and I dishonored it. Will you forgive me?"

"Is... is that what you're asking for?" Keith asked.

"No," Allura shook her head, "-I just felt that it should be said. You do not have to forgive me if you do not feel that you should."

"Oh," Keith frowned, still not sure he understood what brought this on all of a sudden, "-it's fine. The Galra took everything from you. I don't think anyone can blame you for being suspicious of us. And you didn't know."

"I suppose not," Allura admitted, "-but it was still uncalled for."

Letting out a long breath, Allura's shoulders slumped, her guard feeling as if it were relaxed for the first time since he'd told them all the truth. "Now then, as for what I _am_ asking for, I would like to see the chip that your grandmother designed. Preferably the one you used, if possible."

Shaking off the shock from their fight, Pidge raised a hand. "I'd like to see it too!"

Looking back towards her, he noted the meek way Hunk raised his hand in agreement. Shoulders relaxing, Keith felt himself smile, feeling strangely at ease.

Ilun was right. The fight _had_ been good for him.

"I mean, I'd have to ask Kolivan." Keith told her. "But if that's really what you want...?"

"Yes," Allura said, and then added, "-please. Your grandmother must have had a deep understanding of quintessence to craft such a device."

"Yeah, I guess she did." Keith said. "So are you... am I staying? As the red paladin?"

Allura blinked, staring at him quizzically. "Did you think I would ask you to leave?"

Opening his mouth, he quickly shut it. Thinking back on it, he couldn't recalling her actually saying _anything_ to that effect. He'd just assumed.

"I just- I thought-"

Letting out a breath, Allura leveled her gaze with him. "I... considered it, I will admit. But I know that the red lion would not choose anyone that it did not think was worthy of it."

"And that if it trusts you... then I should as well." Allura admitted, her expression softening. "I am sorry I accused you of being a spy."

For a long moment, all Keith could do was stare, dumbfounded. Shaking it off, he cracked a faint grin. "Well," he said, "-you weren't exactly wrong."

"No," Allura admitted, a faint smile of her own on her lips, "-I suppose not. But I am glad that you are on our side, Kyix. Though I _am_ still unhappy that you lied."

"Now," Allura's smile turned into an outright grin, baring her teeth, "-how about a round two?"

Keith responded by unsheathing his knife. He hated losing, after all.


	17. determination

Chapter seventeen! We say goodbye to the Blades with this chapter- for now! Next chapter, it's time to go troop around in the digestive system of a giant space worm. You know, for fun! I'm definitely looking forward to writing it, especially since there's going to be a pretty noteworthy change that's going to take place, other than you know, Keith being visibly Galra. So look forward to that~!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter seventeen**

 **determination**

* * *

"So uh, I heard I'd find you here."

Lifting his head, Keith turned to look behind him. He hadn't expected anyone to come join him out here, least of all Hunk.

"Thought I should spend some time with Red." Keith told him. "Haven't seen her since... well, you know."

"Since you got your weird disguise chip removed?" Hunk asked.

Nodding, Keith stared up at the red lion. It wasn't like he was afraid that she would reject him, not after all this time, but it felt... well, important, that they see each other. Even if he was wearing a mask right now- not wearing it outside of the base wasn't exactly an option. Not if he wanted to be able to _breathe_ , which, incidentally, he did.

Didn't matter. She'd know.

Rising to his feet, Keith turned on his heel, vaguely wondering what Hunk wanted from him. From the sound of it, he'd been seeking him out specifically.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Oh uh, yeah, everything's fine, just..." Shifting on his feet, Hunk gave him a weak smile. Unlike his own mask, the paladin armor had helmets with face plates that could been seen through, even when enclosed. "Pre-mission jitters, you know."

"Hunk, we don't leave until tomorrow." Keith pointed out

"I know, I know." Hunk said. "I'm just really starting to think that I get like, the short end of the stick here. I mean, not only is my lion on a Galra occupied planet, but I also had to go fetch a crystal from a Galra occupied Balmera. And now I have to go get some weird mineral or something from the inside of a giant, planet-eating space worm? All I'm saying is that there's something of a trend here, and it is _not_ one that I enjoy."

"There's also the time you had to keep the Taujeerians from falling into that pit of acid." Keith added mildly.

He was almost sort of grateful for the fact that his mask obscured his features. He could have saved Hunk an awful lot of trouble by owning up to what he knew, but he hadn't.

"Yes, thank you Keith, I forgot about that one." Hunk said. "That sucked."

In spite of himself, Keith let out a snort. "I mean... sure. But at least you bonded with your lion, right?"

Hunk frowned, considering it. "Hm. Yeah, that is true."

"Besides," Keith lied, "-the Weblum won't be that bad."

"Keith, buddy," Hunk told him, and he felt himself perk up a bit at the use of the word _buddy_ , instantly chiding himself for it, "-maybe I wasn't able to pick up on the whole secretly a space alien thing, which uh, in hindsight I really _should_ have, because no offense, it explains so much, but I'm pretty sure that's a lie."

Keith winced. He'd take offense at that, but he was pretty sure Hunk had a point. "Okay, yeah. It's going to be that bad."

"How bad are we talking here?" Hunk asked.

"Whatever you're imagining," Keith told him frankly, "-it's worse."

"See, I can imagine a lot." Hunk said. "That's kind of the problem."

"Fair enough." Keith admitted. "But look- I've been in one before. We can just get in, get the scaultrite, and get out. Easy."

It probably wouldn't actually be _that_ easy, but Hunk didn't have to know that.

"You've been inside a giant space worm before." Hunk deadpanned.

"It's a training mission." Keith explained with a shrug.

Hunk winced, appearing sympathetic. "You know what? I'm never going to complain about Shiro's training regime again. That's rough, buddy."

Folding his arms in front of him, Keith frowned. He didn't exactly see it that way- going into the Weblum had been disgusting, sure, and if the other option wasn't breaking Slav out of prison, he never would have agreed to it. But it wasn't exactly that _hard_ \- or at least, not compared to some of the other training missions he'd been sent on, it wasn't.

But then again, Keith suspected that the difficulty level of most of his training missions had been nearly twice that of your average Blade.

Which was fair- he had missed out on a lot of the training he would have otherwise gotten throughout his early childhood, so they had to make up for lost time. Besides, he'd survived, so while they had been difficult, none of them had been impossible.

"So... is that what brought you out here?" Keith asked, gesturing absently to the literal space around him. "Worries about the mission?"

"Mm, part of it." Hunk told him. "But uh... nobody's seen you since your fight with Allura, so I just thought... I don't know. She hit you pretty bad in that last bout."

Keith grimaced. They had gone best two out of three, and while he had won the second bout, it turned out Allura hated losing just as much as he did, a fact which he learned the hard way. He had never known what the humans meant by the expression _seeing stars_ until, well... he was on his back, staring at stars where there should be no stars.

It also struck him that Hunk was _worried_. He didn't quite know what to do with that piece of information, so he just put it aside for the time being. He was very slowly starting to accept that the paladins did care about him, but he was struggling to grasp the depth of it.

"I'm fine." Keith assured him. "Just came out here to think, that's all."

"Hey, you'll get the princess next time!" Hunk assured him. "But uh, next time I think I'll skip out on watching. That was a little too violent for me, no offense."

Keith snorted. "None taken."

"You sure, because-"

"Hunk," Keith cut him off, "-I lived on Earth for nearly three years. Believe it or not, I did actually pick up on a few of your cultural norms."

"Hm," Hunk frowned, "-yeah, okay. Fair enough."

He wanted to be a bit annoyed at the faint doubt in his voice, but he fought it back. Hunk had the right of it. He hadn't exactly adapted to life on Earth as well as he could have. He'd never wanted to.

"So... where's everyone else?" Keith asked.

"Uh, Shiro's with Kolivan, I think." Hunk told him. "Probably going over leader stuff."

Keith snorted, a faint grin touching his lips. "Leader stuff."

Hunk just gave him a look- and chose to actively ignore him. "I think Pidge is basically pouring through everything the Blade of Marmora has on Shiro. I think she's hoping to use that to find a lead on her family."

Sound plan. He kind of doubted that they had anything that might help, but Pidge was the type who wouldn't be satisfied until she had gone through every bit of data herself.

"And Lance said something about a nursery, or something like that?" Hunk said, sounding a bit uncertain.

Keith froze a bit at that. "A nursery?"

"Yeah, uh... Allura mentioned it, I think." Hunk said. "Kind of weird that we weren't shown it during the tour, but hey, guess that's kind of private."

Right. Of course. Lance had mentioned something about having a niece and nephew back home. It really shouldn't come as a surprise to him that he might be interested in playing with the kids. Which was fine, it was just...

He didn't know how well _Naveera_ would take to that.

"Is... is that bad?" Hunk frowned, seeming to have picked up on his mood.

"It's just- the caretaker, she's not wild about strangers." Keith told him. "Which means we'd better go and save Lance from her before she wrenches his arm off or something."

Underneath his helmet, Hunk paled.

* * *

Yeah. This was about how he thought he'd find them.

Lance, for his part, looked immensely relieved to see him- probably a first. If he was going to be honest, he was kind of savoring that reaction just a little. He'd been tied up and shoved in a corner- definitely not the most dignified of positions, yet somehow still less embarrassing than when they had freed him after he'd been tricked by Nyma.

Naveera, meanwhile, remained blissfully unbothered by the blue paladin's predicament. Probably because she had been the one to put him in it, but still.

She'd even gone so far as to gag him. Knowing Lance, he could sort of guess why.

Nose twitching, the four armed Galra caught his scent on the air, seeming to brighten. "Kyix! It is good of you to come, especially since I missed you yesterday."

"Naveera," Keith began, "-I see you uh... caught an intruder."

He couldn't tell what Lance was saying past the gag, but it sounded offended.

Naveera hummed. "He claims to be the blue paladin of Voltron."

Biting down on the edge of his lip, Keith tried to keep himself from laughing. Lance was obviously in one piece- a little ruffled, but otherwise fine. His pride was probably more bruised than anything else.

Hunk, for his part, just looked like he was trying to keep as quiet as possible, like he was trying not to draw the looming Galra's attention towards him. He didn't have the heart to tell him that Naveera had already caught his scent, and that if she thought he was a threat, she probably would have already moved to subdue him.

There was a reason they left her in charge of the base's children.

"That's because he is." Keith told her. As funny as it was, he should probably throw Lance a bonnet.

(...that probably wasn't actually how that phrase went.)

Naveera's smile fell. It was safe to say that she blanched. Seeming to recognize her error, she quickly moved to untie Lance, who wasted no time in ripping the gag out of his mouth the second he was free. "Thank you! That's what I've been trying to tell her this whole time, but she wouldn't believe me!"

"You had a strange scent." Naveera supplied. "You could have been a _uiqup_."

"I don't even know what that _is_!" Lance protested.

"It's an old Galran folktale." Keith supplied. "They're tricksters who steal younglings."

To steal and eat their faces so that they could take their place, but something told him he was better off leaving that part out. He was pretty sure that Naveera was the only one left who actually believed in that kind of superstition anymore.

"I wasn't-!" Lance sputtered. "I wasn't going to steal any of the children! I just wanted to play with them!"

Keith snorted, shaking his head. Naveera was nothing if not an excellent caretaker, but that could sometimes be her downfall. She had obviously heard that the paladins of Voltron were on base, if his confirmation that Lance was the blue paladin was enough to convince her to free him, but it wasn't that unusual for her to be so devoted to her task that she drowned out anything that wasn't relevant to it.

It would have been one thing if Lance had come here _with_ him, like Allura had yesterday, but to come alone... yeah, he could sort of see how this had all happened.

Especially since Naveera was blind.

The four armed Galra merely let out a snort, crossing her two lower arms. "What sort of caretaker would I be if I let someone whose scent I did not recognize in to play with the younglings? That is what gets them killed."

He flinched a bit at the comment. He knew it wasn't directed at him, but it still stung. He knew just as well that she hadn't meant for it to.

And it wasn't like he _should_. He'd just been a baby at the time. The one at fault was his father, not him.

"Look," Keith began, "-why don't we start over again. Lance, Hunk, this is Naveera. She's the caretaker of this nursery. She used to be a deep cover agent, before she lost her eyesight."

"That was many deca-phoebs ago now." Naveera hummed. Her face was still badly scarred from where an explosion had torn it open, and would likely never heal properly. Her scales had never grown back. "Ulaz offered to replace them, but I do not trust prosthetics."

"What, afraid they'll hack your brain or something?" Lance asked.

It was amazing how well someone with no eyes could glare. It was enough to make Lance shrink back.

Heaving a sigh, Keith folded his arms in front of him. "Naveera, these are Lance and Hunk. They're the blue and yellow paladins. They're humans."

Taking a whiff of the air, Naveera frowned. "That explains the strange smell."

"Hey," Lance protested, his voice hitting an offended high note, "-I do _not_ smell."

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't mean it like that, Lance." Hunk finally spoke. "And uh... hi. I'm Hunk. Nice to meet you. Please don't tie me up."

He got the feeling that he hadn't meant to say that last part out loud, but Naveera simply responded to it with a bark of laughter. "Now that I know who you are, I shall not. My apologies, paladins."

" _Finally_." Lance muttered.

Naveera took it in good humor. "By way of apology, perhaps you would like to hold our youngest?"

It was impressive how quickly Lance perked up at that. "Yes, please."

Not that he wasn't interested himself. Youngest had to mean the baby, right?

Naveera hummed, making her way towards the crib that had been set out in the middle of the room. Using her two upper limbs, she carefully scooped up the fuzzy bundle that had been sleeping inside, the infant barely so much as stirring. She couldn't have been more than a few phoebs old- and beyond that, was _tiny_.

"Is she...?"

" _Ahlet_ , yes." Naveera answered. "Antok found her. He could hardly leave the poor dear behind after that."

"Found her?" Hunk frowned.

"Yes." Naveera said, using one of her lower arms to lightly poke the infant's nose, causing the baby to squirm lightly. "She was to be discarded."

He didn't miss the way Lance and Hunk both paled at the statement, and he had to remind himself that wasn't normal, not to them. But that was the society that Zarkon had cultivated- one that valued strength over all else.

"That's... that's awful." Lance whispered.

"That is the way of things, at least among the Empire." Naveera told him. "Now, be careful of her head. She still has much growing to do."

Lance was too stunned by the revelation to even reply, but he did let Naveera place the infant in his arms. He took great care in holding her- he suspected that even if she hadn't advised him to be careful, he still would have been extremely gentle.

For his part, Keith frowned, tilting his head. This was a side to Lance he hadn't seen before- something beyond the brash, often annoying blue paladin.

Guess he really _was_ good with kids. Huh.

"She's so cute." Hunk cooed, staring down at the infant. "How could anyone not want her?"

"The Empire values strength, above all else." Naveera replied. "Those who are born in anything but prime condition are immediately deemed as defective, and are often killed."

"Or worse." Keith mumbled.

He felt Lance and Hunk's gaze on him, and he kind of wished he hadn't opened his mouth. Ignoring it, he turned to Naveera. "What's her name?"

"Eira." Naveera answered. "Antok named her. He has grown rather attached."

At the sound of her name, the infant's eyes fluttered open, Galra gold. She stared up at Lance and Hunk, before making a content mewling sound, raising fluffy arms still chubby with baby fat, as if to grasp at them.

In response, Hunk lowered his head, letting her grab at his cheeks, chuckling a little. "Oh man. She's got tiny claws, but they're like, little pinpricks. Doesn't hurt at all. Are _all_ Galra babies like this?"

"Usually they are larger." Naveera noted.

"Nuv was almost twice her size." Keith observed.

"Even you were a bit larger, at this age." Naveera observed, causing his cheeks to flush.

"Oh man," Lance whispered, barely containing his laughter, "-tiny baby Keith. I bet he still had the mullet and everything."

Grumbling, Keith glowered at him, but it had no effect. Hunk, for his part, tried very hard to look like he wasn't picturing it, but failed. Badly.

"Why do they call you _Keith_?" Naveera inquired.

"It's the name I used on Earth." Keith replied. " _Kyix_ isn't exactly a common Earth name."

"Ah," Naveera hummed again, nodding her head, "-I am glad that you have returned to us. And as a paladin! Your mother would be proud."

He smiled at that, ignoring Lance's faint snicker and Hunk's not so subtle attempt to shush him. He wasn't going to let that ruin this moment.

"It was kind of a surprise." Keith admitted. "But a good one."

It was. Even if he hadn't believed it at first, thought that it had to be some kind of a mistake... looking back on it all, it really had been a good surprise. It didn't mean that he didn't still have his doubts going forward, but if he had to be honest, he didn't regret becoming the red paladin at all.

Maybe it had actually been the universe itself that had made that choice for him, but for once, Keith didn't think the universe was wrong.

* * *

He spent the bulk of the afternoon with Hunk and Lance, as the latter was subjected to intense instruction on how to properly care for a Galra baby. At least, by Lance's standards, it was pretty intense- she could be superstitious and old-fashioned, but Naveera still wasn't wild about the concept of _palen-bol_ , unlike others.

By late afternoon, Lance had said his tearful goodbyes to baby Eira, promising that he would come back to play with her for sure. He wondered if he just really liked kids that much, or if it was because he just missed his own family, and was using her as a substitute.

Hunk, on the other hand, had opted to give Naveera a hand with other tasks, once they had ironed out all of their issues related to her having tied Lance up. It kept his mind busy and off of the Weblum, which was probably for the best. He'd left part way through the afternoon, leaving just him and Lance.

He parted ways from Lance a varga or so later, deciding to head down to the archives. He wasn't sure if Pidge would even still be there, but he had the best odds of finding her there.

Besides, if she _was_ still there, that was all the more reason to go and drag her out. He knew how fixated she was on finding her family, but he hadn't exactly failed to notice how she sometimes forsook sleeping and eating if she thought she had anything close to resembling a lead.

He hadn't exactly spied on them all for movements for _nothing_.

(He'd have to remember to remove all those bugs.)

Before he even got to the archives, he made out the sound of voices. One of them was definitely Pidge, but the other...

"...regris?"

It _was_ Regris. To his surprise, the Blade was leaning against the console closest to Pidge. He'd caught them in a middle of a discussion about... honestly, he didn't exactly know. He wasn't _terrible_ with computers, but next to Pidge and Regris, he just seemed dumb in comparison.

"Kyix!" Regris greeted him. "Why did you not tell me that the green one was so smart?"

"Uh," suddenly wondering if he should be worried about this combination, Keith shifted on his feet, "-I didn't think- what are you even doing here?"

"Regris has been helping me look through imperial records." Pidge supplied, and then promptly grinned like an imp. "And telling me some pretty interesting stories while he was at it."

Shooting Regris a glare, the Blade simply looked pleased with himself. He could only imagine what kind of stories they were, and he wondered what it would take to bribe Pidge to keep them to herself.

"So did you find anything?" Keith asked, deciding just not to approach that subject at all. It was bait, and he wasn't going to take it.

"Unfortunately, no." Pidge said. "But I'm hoping that I'll have more luck when we rescue Slav."

At the mention of Slav, Keith couldn't help but grimace. Last he'd heard, he'd been hiding out on one of the moons of Hasperion, but he guessed sometime between him leaving for Earth and returning to the base, he'd been captured. He wished he could say that surprised him, but... no, it really didn't.

Pidge frowned. "You keep making that face every time Slav is brought up."

Keith just stared at her. "What face?"

"That face." Pidge told him. "The one you're making right now."

"Slav and Kyix do not get along." Regris helpfully supplied.

"Huh," Pidge said, "-so... what's he like? Slav, I mean. Other than the fact that he made that gravity generator- which, by the way, was _amazing_ \- we don't know that much about him."

"And you're better off for it." Keith stated. "Look. Trust me when I say you'll know him when you see him."

Pidge just hummed in consideration. "Guess I'll take your word for it. Anyways, what brings you down here? I thought you were sulking after losing to Allura."

Grumbling, Keith narrowed his eyes. He hadn't been _sulking_. Besides, he'd won the second fight.

"Heard from Hunk that you were down here." Keith told her. "Just wanted to make sure you'd ate."

Pidge blinked, before a sly smile spread out across her face. "Wow. Never thought I'd hear the day you admitted you were worried about me."

Opening his mouth to protest that _of course_ he worried about her, she was _tiny_ , he quickly snapped it shut. He'd never hear the end of it if he said something like that with Regris around. "Just... we're all paladins, right?"

Pidge arched her brows, looking amused by his statement, but opted to say nothing. Somehow that just made it worse.

"The red paladin of Voltron!" Regris proclaimed, throwing his arm around his shoulder. A faint noise of surprise escaped him, which caused Pidge's brows to shoot straight up in response. He chose to ignore it. "Who would have thought that one of our own would be granted such an honor? And little Kyix, at that!"

Pidge snorted, eyes darting away when he glared at her. So much for solidarity.

"You know," Regris began, "-I helped train him."

Snorting, Keith rolled his eyes. It probably wasn't very effective now that he was back to normal, but he couldn't seem to shake the habit. "You and half the base."

"A fair point." Regris admitted. "You leave tomorrow?"

Instantly sobering, Keith nodded his head. He had sort of been trying not to think about it, but it wasn't like he could avoid it. Part of him knew that they had a war to fight, and that the faster they got started on their plan, the better. But part of him... part of him didn't want to leave.

It was selfish. He knew that. The paladins had all been torn away from their homes, and here he was, rubbing the fact that he'd returned to his in their faces.

Hell, Allura didn't even _have_ a home anymore.

But he just... look. He'd missed this place. More than he thought he would have. Maybe everyone was right- maybe he _was_ still a youngling. Some Blades were sent away for _decades_ , and here he was complaining about a mere three deca-phoebs or so.

He'd been just fine while on Earth, and on the Castle. But now that he was actually here, actually _home_ , surrounded by people he had known growing up, the idea of actually leaving was just... it was harder to grasp than he would have thought. And if he was going to be honest, it made him feel a little pathetic.

"Yeah," Keith swallowed, pushing those feelings aside, "-tomorrow. Hunk and I are headed for a Weblum."

At that, Regris made a face. "Truthfully, I would chose rescuing Slav over the Weblum."

"Well, you'd be wrong." Keith shot back.

"I'd say you're welcome to join us, but given the fact that Hunk's mission involves the insides of a space worm, I'm going to have to say you should probably stick with him." Pidge observed. "He's not exactly wild about blood."

"I mean, we'll be going through the digestive system." Keith observed. "So... no blood. Hopefully."

Just bacteria that would try to kill them.

"Yeah, because stomach acid makes everything better." Pidge quipped, pushing her chair back from the console. She stood up, pausing to stretch, her joints cracking from what had to be vargas of disuse. "Speaking of which, I'm so hungry I might even want some of those horrible rations you guys call _food_."

Regris frowned. "What's wrong with our rations? Are they not nutritionally sufficient for humans?"

Pidge just groaned. "Oh my god. You're _all_ like this, aren't you?"

Regris caught his eye in confusion, to which Keith just shrugged. He still didn't get what the big deal was. He knew food culture was a big thing on Earth, but they could get pretty ridiculous about it sometimes.

Guess every race just had their own quirks.

Before he could say anything, Pidge had him by the arm, tugging him along with a surprising amount of force. "Come on, you're eating with us tonight."

Opening his mouth to protest, Keith quickly shut it. He kind of wanted to eat with the rest of the Blades, but he guessed they'd all be eating in the same place, so it wouldn't really matter.

* * *

He was wrong.

He didn't know how Hunk had done it, or even when he'd found the time, but somehow, he'd talked the Blade in charge of food preparation into lending him the kitchen. The end result was a table full of food, with Keith dragged over to the circular couch and shoved into place next to Shiro.

And right across from Allura. He didn't miss that, and neither did she.

He had spoken to Kolivan, just like he promised. He wasn't wild about the fact that he'd issued a challenge to the princess, but he was willing to hand over the chip in question. He hadn't spoken with Allura since then, but he didn't really have to.

Things weren't completely settled between them, but they were better than they had been.

"This might be the last chance we all have to gather like this," Hunk had said, "-so I wanted to make the most of it."

There had been at once a solemn and festive mood to the gathering. Hunk was right. Once the plan to defeat Zarkon was put into full swing, there was no telling when they might have another chance to do something like this. There was even a chance that they might not come back from that battle.

He knew it was a thought that weighed on everyone's minds.

"Not staying?"

Shiro's voice was soft, so as to not wake Pidge. Lance was starting to drift off too, but Pidge had actually fallen asleep, splayed across one of the couches. He watched as Allura carefully scooped her up, pulling off armor plates as she deposited her in her sleeping hole. Hunk helped guide Lance to his own, still muttering under his breath about something inconsequential.

Keith just shook his head. "I have my own quarters."

"Fair enough." Shiro said. "But you're always welcome to stay."

Giving the black paladin a weak smile, Keith looked across the room towards Allura. She met his eyes, and this time, gave him a faint smile. Clearly, the offer was unanimous.

"Thanks," Keith told him, "-but I really should get back."

Resting a hand on his shoulder, Shiro smiled. "Once this is over, maybe you can go find your mother."

"Maybe." Keith told him. He didn't have the heart to say that he probably wouldn't be able to. Even if they defeated Zarkon, all that would do was leave a power gap that needed to be filled- but he was sure Kolivan was already making plans for that.

Wishing Shiro a good night, Keith ducked out of the room before anyone else could stop him. The walk back to his quarters was a silent one- he didn't run into any other Blades, and before he knew it, he was alone in the dark room.

Heaving a long sigh, Keith stared down at his fist. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would start their plan in earnest. If even one of them failed, the entire mission would fail.

He wouldn't let that happen.

Shedding the chest plate of his armor, he unsheathed his blade, resting it on the stand. His fingers brushed lightly against his mother's place, eyes narrowing.

Find your mother, Shiro had said. But if Zarkon fell, and a Kral Zera was called, then Commander Ranveig would surely attend. Without Sendak around, he would be the likely favorite. If he ascended to power...

He swallowed. He didn't want to think about that.

So instead he shed his gauntlets, making his way over towards his sleeping hole. Collapsing in it, he stared up at the ceiling, at once too tired to stay awake, and too awake to want to sleep. Anticipation flooded his veins, making his blood sing- it wasn't quite the same bloodlust that he had honed since he had been able to hold a blade, but close.

If he could use it to put an end to the Galra Empire... what better thing was there for him to do?

But right now, if he had to be honest... he was a bit lonely. Turning his head, he looked in the direction of his mother's sleeping hole. With a frown, he rose to his feet, grabbing his sheets and pillow, lugging them over to the other hole.

Nobody had to know, right?

Curling up, he sniffed the air. It still smelt a bit like her, even after all this time. It was comforting.

With thoughts of his mother in his head, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Kyix."

Turning on his heel, Keith looked back. Their sendoff was predictably smaller than their reception had been, with only Kolivan and Antok in attendance. They would meet them on Olkarion, and would join them for the duration of the actual plan.

He'd already said his farewells in private, but he hadn't had a chance to speak with Kolivan yet. So when the Blade leader called out to him, he didn't hesitate to pause.

Extending his arm, Kolivan stood with his back straight. "It was good to see you again."

Grasping Kolivan's forearm, Keith looked up at him. Even if he didn't have his mask in place, he knew that his expression would likely be difficult to read. The mission before them was a dangerous one- they all knew that.

Probably no one knew it better than Kolivan. He'd been fighting against the Galra Empire for centuries. He knew exactly what Zarkon was capable of.

And they were going to face him.

"It was good to see you too." Keith told him. "I'll get that scaultrite and come back safe."

"See that you do." Kolivan said, his tone stern.

Nodding, Keith turned on his heel. Gazing up at the red lion, he drew in a long breath, steadying himself. Whatever happened, there was no turning back.

Do or die.

And he didn't intend to die just yet.


	18. weblum

Phew! Here's chapter eighteen, freshly finished! It's kind of ironic that I'm getting to this episode now, when it was brought up twice in season eight- we even got to see another Weblum! Timing, man, timing. Anyways, we're probably nearing the end of maroon. This time I really don't think I'll finish it in twenty episodes, since there are still three relevant episodes left to cover (not including _Escape from Beta-Traz_ , which, like _The Depths_ , won't be covered).

But of course, there will be an eventual sequel! One that I am very much looking forward to writing, because I am planning a definite twist from canon that I will not spoil.

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter eighteen**

 **weblum**

* * *

"Princess, you're back!"

Coran's boisterous greeting was enough to cause her to forget that she was still a bit mad at him, if only briefly. Perhaps she had worked things out with Kyix, but she still needed to have a few words with her advisor about keeping secrets.

But for now, Allura smiled. "We are."

"Wonderful!" Coran exclaimed. "I trust things went well with the Blade of Marmora."

"Indeed," Allura said, "-we have not only established an alliance, but also a plan that may very well lead to Zarkon's removal."

"Which is why we need to get started as soon as we can." Shiro cut in, even as he gave Coran a faint smile in greeting. The rest of the paladins were starting to trickle out of the red lion, save for Keith, who was presumably still in its cockpit.

Coran straightened, a serious expression washing over his face. "Of course. What do I need to do?"

"Do you still have that old video about scaultrite retrieval?" Allura inquired. "Hunk and Kyix may need it."

Coran only briefly blinked at the mention of the red paladin's name, before he beamed. "I'm sure I still have that old video around here somewhere. I may even still have the tracker!"

"Just for the record, I am still _not_ looking forward to this." Hunk groaned.

"Ah, it's not so bad, lad!" Coran assured him. "Why, I went on several scaultrite retrieval missions in my youth! They're an excellent way to build up character in young recruits."

"Yeah... usually on Earth, when someone says it's to _build character_ , that means whatever it is, it's going to suck." Hunk said.

"I wish I could tell you it meant otherwise on Altea, but..." Allura trailed off.

Hunk just groaned again.

"You'll be fine, Hunk." Shiro assured him, giving his shoulder a light squeeze. "You won't have to do it alone. Keith will be with you."

"Mm, yeah, true." Hunk admitted, but not before casting a nervous glance in her direction. She couldn't blame him- she must have made quite the impression.

"Speaking of Kyix, where _is_ he?" Coran asked, peering behind them. "He hasn't come out of his lion yet."

"I'm here."

Kyix's voice caused them all to jump- even her. Perhaps it was for the best that the Blade of Marmora were their allies now- she was all but certain that Ulaz had allowed himself to be detected by the Castle's sensors.

The hood of Kyix's Marmora armor was lowered, as was his mask- but Coran barely so much as blinked at his changed appearance. He had likely speculated, if not outright knew. Still, the dark armor made him look a bit out of place, and it was clear to her that he felt it.

Right. Part of that was on her.

Squaring her shoulders, Allura forced herself to smile. She still had her apprehensions, but Kyix had more than proven himself to be loyal to the cause of defeating Zarkon... even if he hadn't _technically_ been the most loyal paladin, by mere virtue of his deceit. Perhaps now that the truth was out in the open, that would change.

At least, she certainly hoped it would.

"First things first, Coran," Allura began, "-we should safely relocate the Castle from its current position. The Blade should have sent us an exit path that we can use. We can discuss the details of the mission after that."

"Of course, princess." Coran acknowledged. "Where should I set our heading once we're out?"

"To the Balmera."

* * *

Hunk shifted on his feet. It had taken maybe an hour or two to fully debrief Coran and make arrangements for each of their tasks. Shiro, Pidge, and Lance had already left for theirs- he'd headed down to the blue lion's hangar with the princess to see them off. Coran was already making preparations to head to Olkarion, but he wouldn't depart until they'd all left.

That just left him and Keith.

Fiddling with his helmet, he tried not to dwell on the fact that they were about to enter the belly of a giant space worm. Really, he was. It just... look, it wasn't easy. It would be one thing if it was like the Balmera- he liked the Balmera! It was nice!

But this was just... _ugh_. He could sort of understand why it had fallen on him- they needed Lance's sharpshooting skills for the prison break, and it pretty much went without saying that Pidge and Shiro were just like... _ideal_ for that kind of mission. Hacking wasn't exactly his strong suit- he was more of a hands-on kind of guy. Pidge had taught him a lot about coding that he didn't know since they had become paladins, but she was still _way_ better than he would ever be in a pinch.

Even if she _was_ a weirdo who double-modulated.

Sensing his nerves, Allura rested a hand on his shoulder. "If it is any consolation, you should only have to do this once."

Giving the princess a weak smile, Hunk swallowed. "Let's hope."

Allura just smiled. "Should I pass any messages on to Shay?"

Inwardly, Hunk groaned. He had kind of thought the whole _girlfriend_ thing was like, a paladin-only joke, but even Allura had picked up on it. Still... yeah, if he had to be honest, he _did_ kind of miss Shay.

"I guess you can tell her we'll be keeping our promise." Hunk said. "You know... ridding the universe of Zarkon and all that."

"I will be sure to." Allura assured him, before frowning slightly. "What do you think is taking Kyix so long?"

"I think he said something about wanting to get rid of some bugs." Hunk remarked, before flinching. Oh. Right. Maybe he shouldn't have told the princess that- heck, he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to know that. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop!

Thankfully, Allura just arched a brow, but didn't look too annoyed. "So he _was_ bugging the ship. I had a feeling."

"So... you're good with him now?" Hunk asked, chancing a glance down towards Allura.

Allura frowned, as if she had to think her answer over. "Getting there."

Hm. Well, fair enough. At least she was being honest. The fighting seemed to have helped- which, by the way, he _totally_ didn't get, not when they seemed like they were really trying to kill each other- but he guessed that total acceptance was just something that would need time.

"Oh, uh... that's good." Hunk said.

Allura merely looked up towards him. "You knew him at that flight school you went to, did you not?"

"Uh, you mean the Garrison?" Hunk asked. It wasn't _exactly_ a flight school- sure, yeah, they trained an awful lot of pilots there, but flight wasn't like, the _only_ thing they taught. "Yeah, yeah, I did. I mean... not very well, but yeah, I knew him."

Allura merely hummed, her curiosity sated with his answer. Staring down at his helmet, Hunk tried to think back- he knew he had said it before, but god... knowing what he knew now made so many things about Keith make sense. Honestly? Him being an alien was kind of a relief. It was way better than him being some kind of child solider.

Except... hm. No, he guessed he kind of still was that. It was just... he didn't know. Sure, the Blades could be pretty imposing, downright intimidating, even, but the impression that he got of them whenever they interacted with Keith was... well, it was nice, if he had to be honest. Warm, almost like a family.

It made him think of his own family.

He tried not to do it too often. Yeah, he missed them, and god, would he do _anything_ to see them again. But after what he had seen on the Balmera... the knowledge that if they didn't stop the Galra Empire, if they didn't stop _Zarkon_ , that something like that could happen on Earth... no way was he going home until he'd done what he'd come out here to do.

...even if, okay, yeah, he didn't technically come out here to fight evil aliens. That had just sort of happened.

"Sorry for the wait."

Looking up, Hunk broke out into a grin. Sure, the Blade armor was super cool, but honestly? If you asked him, paladin armor fit Keith _way_ better. The fact that he was purple now didn't change that.

He didn't miss the slight way Allura's brow crinkled at the sight. Whatever was on her mind, she chose not to say it.

"Hey, no problem." Hunk told him. "So uh, you ready to head into some guts?"

Keith tried to fight back a snort, but failed. Something about coming clean to them seemed to have opened him up, and honestly? He was happy about that. He'd always been so isolated from the rest of the team- which, yeah, in hindsight, he could totally understand why, but it was kind of nice to actually have a chance to get to know the _real_ Keith.

Or uh, the real _Kyix_. Maybe he really should call him that. But he'd said _Keith_ was fine, so...

Hm. He'd think about it later. You know, when he didn't have space worm guts to worry about.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Keith remarked, before catching Allura's eye, instantly seeming to stiffen. "Princess."

"Kyix." Allura said, her voice perfectly neutral. "Hopefully the Weblum tracker Coran gave you still works. I had him upload one of his old videos to the yellow lion. It should help."

Keith just frowned. "I've been in a Weblum before, princess. I know what to expect."

"Yes, but Hunk does not." Allura pointed out.

"...fair enough." Keith admitted.

Allura gave him a faint smile. "I wish the both of you luck."

"Same to you, princess." Hunk told her. "I hope you can actually find a crystal big enough for this thing."

"If I cannot, we should at least be able to design the teleduv to house several crystals." Allura told him. "But hopefully it will not come to that."

"I've had the Blades keep tabs on the robeast from the Balmera since we fought it." Keith said suddenly, shifting a bit awkwardly on his feet. It was as much an admission as it was the sharing of information. "He sent an operative down to plant some monitors after we left. It should still be stable."

Honestly, he'd kind of forgotten about that robeast. Blocked it from his memory would probably be more correct, since that thing had been capital F _freaky_.

Allura blinked, before inclining her head. "That _is_ good to hear. Hopefully, it will not become a problem again."

Keith just gave her a curt nod, and while Hunk couldn't be positive, he kind of got the feeling he was averting his eyes. It was just so darn hard to tell when he didn't, you know, have any visible pupils. Shay and the Balmerans didn't have them either, come to think of it- it was part of why he had kind of freaked out so bad when he saw her and Rax for the first time. He'd seen them and thought they were Galra at first.

But now? Honestly, now he didn't find them creepy at all.

"Welp," tugging on his helmet, Hunk let out a long breath, "-guess this is where we part ways."

"Stay safe," Allura said- and then, almost as an afterthought, "-the both of you."

Keith blinked, before giving the princess another curt nod in response. "You too."

Hunk smiled. He might be getting ready to going into the belly of a disgusting space worm, but at least these two were well on their way to resolving their tensions.

* * *

"No way," Hunk wheezed, fighting back a fit of laughter, "-is that _Coran_?"

Leaning down to get a better look, Keith blinked. It _was_ Coran. Just a younger and vaguely buffer version of Coran. "That's... kind of disturbing."

"Oh man, I know _exactly_ what you mean." Hunk said, still making an effort to fight back a snicker. "It's like finding old photos of your parents from college or something."

Keith just frowned. He couldn't exactly relate. "I'll just... take your word for it, I guess."

Hunk opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the video glitching. Grumbling, he fumbled a bit with it, trying to clean up the corrosion- guess that was what they got for depending on ten thousand year old footage. It was a good thing he'd actually been in a Weblum before, because if this was the only thing they had to go off of, they would probably be hard pressed to complete their mission.

He couldn't believe he was doing this _again_.

"You know," Hunk began, "-it's totally wild that there's just these... giant animals floating around in open space. The Balmera was one thing, but... how do they even survive?"

Keith just shrugged. "Weblum have existed long before any of us. So have the Balmera."

"Yeah?" Hunk glanced behind him.

"That's what I was taught." Keith told him. He tried not to think about who it was that taught him- and how they were gone, now. "Some legends say that the Balmera might have had a part in creating our universe in the first place, but nobody knows for sure."

"Huh," Hunk frowned, "-so I guess they're a pretty big deal then. So has anyone ever seen one that's like... alive?"

"No," Keith shook his head, thinking back on his own lessons, "-by the time the Galra became a space-faring race, they were already petrified. It's probably the same with the Alteans. It's also probably why your galaxy doesn't have any- it's too young."

"Guess that makes us the babies of the universe, or something." Hunk joked.

Keith cracked a faint smile. "Guess so."

"So how do-" Hunk began, before stopping himself short. It wasn't hard to figure out why.

The chill that crept down his spine was enough to make him dig his fingers deeper into his arms. Biting down on his lip, he tried to force back the rising bile.

"Whoa," Hunk said slowly, "-what are those?"

"They're dead planets." Keith told him, trying to steady himself. Something wasn't right here. There had been remains of a dead planet the last time he had gone into a Weblum too, but it hadn't... they hadn't felt like _this_.

Something was wrong.

"That's strange." Hunk frowned- and he had to remind himself that he couldn't sense what he could. "The charts I'm looking at show that these planets should still be thriving. What do you think happened to them? Asteroid strike?"

No. No, he really didn't think so.

Drawing in a long breath, Keith swallowed back the noxious feeling. Whatever had happened here, he couldn't let this get the better of him. They had a mission, and Hunk was going to need his support. He couldn't afford to be the weak link.

"Keith," Hunk looked up at him, concern in his eyes, "-buddy? You okay?"

"I'm fine." Keith only half-lied. These planets were already dead- anything that he was getting from them now was residual. "I think... I think whatever happened here, it wasn't natural."

Hunk's brows furrowed, as if he wanted to press, ask more questions- but he didn't get the chance. Because where there were dead planets, there was bound to be a Weblum.

He couldn't know if it was the same one he'd gone into before or not. There was no real way of telling. There were some scholars who theorized that there was actually only just one Weblum, but nobody knew if that was true or not.

"Is that... is that the Weblum?"

Nodding, Keith sucked in a long breath. He was looking forward to going on this mission even less than he had been before, but he wasn't about to back out now. He could manage.

But in the back of his mind, he thought about the rumors of the _komar_.

* * *

Contradictory as it sounded, Hunk swore that as soon as they actually got into the Weblum, Keith's color improved. He was almost positive that it had been off back in the yellow lion, even if he still wasn't totally used to him being, you know, purple.

Maybe it had something to do with the dead planets. He'd been weird about the Balmera too, come to think of it- maybe... maybe this was the same thing.

"Right," Keith began, his tone a little curt, "-let's get to the third stomach and just get this over with."

"Yeah, I'm with you there, buddy." Hunk said. "The faster we get out of here, the better."

Keith gave him a grunt of acknowledgement. Honestly? He couldn't blame him. He was pretty preoccupied himself trying not to pay attention to the pus bubble right by his feet. It didn't help that even with his helmet on, he swore that he could _still_ smell the Weblum- they'd both need to go through the disinfectant chamber after this for sure.

"So, third stomach," Hunk began, "-any idea how to get there? I think we're in like... what, the first stomach? How many stomachs does a Weblum even have?"

"Pretty much." Keith mumbled. "We have to-"

He cut himself off, narrowing his eyes. His own helmet probably blocked most of it, but he was pretty sure that Keith was growling, low and deep in his throat. Turning to see what it was, he watched as what looked to be some kind of jellyfish-like creatures emerge from the walls of- what was that, tissue?

Ugh. This was so gross.

"Great," Keith muttered, apparently opting to use his words again, "-these things."

Before he got a chance to ask, Keith had summoned his bayard, sword appearing in a flash. He was just going to take that as his cue to do the same, although the footing in here was downright lousy for his hand cannon. He wondered if he could maybe change the shape a little, make it a bit easier to carry, because as it stood, honestly? For a weapon that took on a form that was best suited to him, it was kind of heavy.

Hunk watched as more and more of the jellyfish-like creatures began to emerge. Okay, now he was starting to get nervous. "Uh... Keith? What are these?"

"Bacteria." Keith told him. "They want to kill us."

Right. Yeah. That made sense.

Any other questions had to be put on hold, because the bacteria were definitely very much trying to kill them. They swarmed them in a surge- every time he shot them down, more came to take their place. Keith was having even less luck with his sword, and he had to wonder how he had dealt with these things the first time around, especially since from the sound of it, he'd been alone then.

"We can't stay here!" Keith yelled. "We have to move!"

"Good plan!" Hunk shouted. "Where did you-?"

He didn't have time to ask before Keith made his bayard vanish, instead grabbing on to the back of his armor. Hunk let out a yelp, firing off a shot purely on reflex alone before making his bayard vanish too. Seconds later, Keith hauled them both into a- oh man. Oh man. Was this a... was this a pit of acid?

Frantically looking over towards Keith, he motioned upwards. Oh. Huh. Guess the bacteria couldn't follow them in here.

 _Still_ didn't change the fact that they were in a pit of acid.

Catching his attention again, Keith motioned downwards, and began to swim. Suddenly grateful for all those lessons he'd had as a kid, Hunk followed after him, trying to drown out the sound of his armor's sensors warning him that swimming through a pit of acid was a really, _really_ bad idea.

He knew that. His armor knew that. Keith's _armor_ knew that. But did _Keith_ know that? Well, probably, but he was clearly just choosing to ignore it.

He also kind of wished he'd warned him that the pit of acid let out into a _huge drop_. Scrambling to fire his jetpack, Hunk fought to get himself stable. His flight was erratic at best, and before he knew it, he'd landed on something hard, letting out a grunt more out of instinct than out of any actual pain. Their armor absorbed blows pretty well.

Keith touched down a second later. "You alive?"

"No," Hunk replied, shoving himself up into a sitting position, "-I'm dead. What did we even land on?"

Looking down, Hunk let out a yelp, quickly scrambling to his feet. Oh man. They had landed on a _ship_. They had landed on a ship that the Weblum seemed to be absorbing. One that _still had a pilot inside_.

Paling, Hunk swallowed. Were they...?

The pilot moved, and he jerked back. Oh man. Okay. Still alive.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith tensed, but he didn't pay it too much mind, too focused on the pilot. There had to be a way to get them out of there, right? Oh wait, yeah, there was one!

"Keith, can you-" Hunk cut himself off, frowning as he turned to actually look at his fellow paladin, "...Keith?"

If he thought he had been pale before, he was definitely pale now. He wasn't just pale though, Hunk realized- he was, for whatever reason, _pissed_. He honestly couldn't remember a time when he had seen Keith this angry, and he was pretty sure that it had nothing to do with the fact that he looked more visibly Galra now.

His bayard was out in a flash, which yeah, was what Hunk wanted, but something told him that his goal here wasn't to free whoever was trapped in the ship. Without thinking, he grabbed Keith's arm, wrapping his own around it to prevent him from outright stabbing the defenseless pilot.

"Let me go, Hunk!" Keith growled, yanking on his arm hard enough to cause Hunk to stumble. But he didn't let go.

"Were you going to free them?" Hunk asked, looking at him. Because it honestly didn't seem like it. It looked more like Keith was planning on murdering whoever it was that was in the ship.

Keith bristled, like that was something to get offended by. "I was going to kill them."

"Uh, yeah, can't let you do that." Hunk told him, paling just a little at the completely frank admission. Right. He'd kind of forgotten that it had been _Keith_ who had killed Haxus.

Keith finally stilled, sensing that he might need to explain himself a bit. He didn't let go, just in case he changed his mind. "They're with the Empire, Hunk. They're the enemy."

Hunk blinked. Neither the ship nor the armor the pilot wore looked like it was standard Galra issue, but well... Keith would know better than him. But even if they _were_ with the Empire, he couldn't just let Keith kill someone who had no chance to defend themselves. It wasn't... it didn't feel _right_.

"Keith, buddy," Hunk began, keeping his voice level, calm, "-remember how you told me that it was ridiculous to treat an entire race of people as evil? That there were people out there on the battlefield that don't want to be there?"

Keith grunted, barely even looking at him. "So what?"

"So, that means we can't just go around stabbing random solders." Hunk told him. "Especially ones who can't defend themselves."

Keith looked like he wanted to protest, but instead bit his tongue. He did finally dismiss his bayard, and only then did Hunk slowly release him. "I am still going to need that bayard of yours."

Keith narrowed his eyes. "You can't possibly want to free them, can you?"

"We can't just leave them here to die." Hunk told him. "Look, I'm no expert, but I don't think that's how paladins do things."

Keith stared at him for a long moment, before he finally let out frustrated growl. His bayard flashed back in his hand, but this time he only cut away at the veins keeping the pilot trapped. He didn't send it away after he was done, but he looked more like he was just staying on his guard than he was readying himself to stab someone.

Summoning his own bayard, Hunk gripped the hand cannon tight. "Hey, if you can hear me in there, cover your head! I'm going to use this thing as a battering ram!"

After a second, the pilot complied. Throwing as much of his weight into it as he could, Hunk rammed the cannon into the cockpit of the ship, once, and then again when it didn't completely break. Finally, it gave way, and as soon as it did, he banished his bayard, offering the trapped pilot a hand.

Honestly, he wasn't wild about helping the Galra either, not after what they had done to the Balmera. But it wasn't like this solider, whoever they were, had personally done all that themselves- heck, everything he heard about the Galra Empire basically made him think that its populace was just like... super brainwashed from birth.

The pilot grasped his hand, and he used it to haul them out. He couldn't see their face, their helmet darkened, but he was pretty sure they were watching Keith with a wary eye.

He returned the favor.

But at the very least, the Galra didn't make any move to try and kill them. Right. They had been trapped in here, for who knows how long. Maybe they were just grateful for the rescue.

"So uh," Hunk began, "-I'm Hunk, that's Kei- _Kyix_ , that's Kyix." He corrected himself, the aforementioned Blade merely making a grunt. "We're uh, paladins of Voltron."

The Galra said nothing, but in their defense, they didn't exactly get the chance. And here he'd been hoping those awful bacteria things were restricted to the first stomach. Guess not.

Getting ready to summon his bayard, he paused, noticing the Galra doing something with their wrist computer. Before he could even ask, the ship underneath their feet began to flash red- and he very quickly understood what it was they were doing.

So did Keith.

"You're turning this ship into a bomb."

* * *

Let the record show that he was only restraining himself for Hunk's sake. And even then, restraining himself was about all he could manage under the circumstances.

His blood boiled. He couldn't find his calm. He gripped his bayard so tight, that he could feel it pressing into his flesh through his paladin armor. All of this, just because of Lotor's stupid insignia.

He had burned it into his memory, back when he had learned the truth about what his father did. Swore that one day, he'd get back at Lotor for all the pain and suffering he caused- he didn't care _how_ , so long as it happened. And now, just when he had the chance, it was taken away from him.

He knew the Galra wasn't Lotor. It had to be one of his generals. Kolivan had purposefully tried to keep him away from any intelligence reports about the Galran prince, but he still knew some things about him, and about his generals. Probably Acxa, he reasoned. It couldn't be Narti or Zethrid- not with that frame. Whichever one it was, it didn't matter- all that mattered was that they worked for Lotor, and that was more than enough to make him hate her.

He had wanted to tell Hunk- tell him that this was no simple Galra soldier, that this was a general under the direct service of the Galra prince. Exiled, but still considered a viable candidate for the throne. But he couldn't- not without expanding on the depth of his fury for the prince. He almost regretted saying what he had before, about those who were forced onto the battlefield- if he had known it would be used against him like this, he would have just kept his mouth shut.

So instead he just settled for boring holes into the back of Acxa's skull. He couldn't see past the tint of her helmet, but he knew she was keeping her eyes on him. Hunk she didn't seem to see as a threat, probably because he had acted to save her. _Him_ on the other hand, she wasn't willing to let out of her sights.

Fine by him. He felt the same way. If she even thought of making a move to harm Hunk...

...well, that'd be all the excuse he would need.

Up ahead, Hunk cast a nervous glance between the two of them, not for the first time. He felt a bit guilty, but he just wasn't in the mood right now. It wasn't Hunk's fault. He was just trying to be a good paladin. It wasn't his problem that he bore a grudge so deep, he was willing to throw away his own morals just to sate it.

He'd apologize to Hunk later. Later, when Acxa was either out of earshot, gone, or _dead_ \- preferably the latter.

At least they were able to find the third stomach. Good. The sooner he could get this mission over with, the sooner he could deal with Acxa. Maybe even sooner than he thought, since Hunk's plan involved him leaving the two of them alone together.

"Please," Hunk begged before he left, "-try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

He'd like to say that his compliance had everything to do with respecting Hunk's plea, but no- it was just because he had his hands full with the bacteria. The same thing probably applied to Acxa- between her pistol and his sword, neither of them exactly had the best weapons equipped to deal with mass hordes of acidic bacteria.

Once they were gone, however, all bets were off.

When the laser fired, they split up, heading to opposite sides of the Weblum. He was almost glad for his paladin armor right now, even if it did feel kind of strange when combined with his true appearance. The two things didn't feel like they went together.

The plan was a success. Now all that was left was collecting the scaultrite, and dealing with Acxa.

She didn't say anything to him, but he could feel her eyes on him as he moved to gather the material. She wasn't moving to attack, but he wasn't about to let his guard down.

It was only when he was nearly finished, that she did exactly what he expected her to, pointing her pistol at him. Without breaking eye contact, she reached for a bag of scaultrite, hefting it over her shoulder.

Drawing his bayard, he rose to his feet. "You're not leaving here with that."

"You don't have a choice." Acxa stated. It was the first time she'd spoken- she hadn't said a single word around Hunk. "I don't think your fellow paladin would be happy if you kill me."

She was right. Absolutely right. And that was the only thing stilling his hand at the moment- that, and the knowledge that he might never get his answers if he killed her.

"You're Galra." Acxa stated, as if it weren't plain as day.

"Is that a problem?" Keith shot back.

"No." Acxa simply said.

He couldn't see her face, so he had no idea what kind of expression she was wearing. All he knew was that during the entire exchange, she didn't lower her pistol once.

And that he let her go.

He didn't know _why_. Maybe he had been trained to kill rather than incapacitate, but he still knew a few ways of doing the latter. He was still a Blade, after all.

And here he was, a Blade, letting a member of the Galra Empire just walk away. All because he had to put his duties as a paladin first. That had to be it, he reasoned- he was just following through on the exact letter of his agreement with Allura. He just hadn't expected it to be tested so soon.

And not like this.

Drawing in a long, shaky breath, he steeled himself. He still had to get the scaultrite to Hunk. Mission first.

* * *

Hunk fought the urge to wince- he knew from the way he had sounded on the coms that Keith was probably in a bad mood, but actually seeing him in person just proved that. And sure, he'd been in a bad mood basically since they had found the Weblum, but it was immensely obvious that it was worse than before.

He was also alone.

Biting down on his lip, Hunk couldn't help but recall just how badly he'd wanted to kill the Galra solider. He couldn't have...?

"Uh, Keith," Hunk began, "-where's-?"

"Gone." Keith snapped, narrowing his eyes. "And they got a bag of scaultrite."

Now he actually did wince. Fixing his gaze on the yellow lion's controls, he couldn't help but wonder if Keith was mad at him. "Should we go after them?"

One bag of scaultrite probably wouldn't throw off their plans, but he couldn't help but be at least a little concerned as to what a Galra soldier wanted with the stuff. The Empire was already capable of creating dangerous robeasts, so he was willing to bet that they had other, equally dangerous things in the works that they might need scaultrite for.

His question was met with complete silence, prompting him to turn back and look at the red paladin. "Keith? Buddy?"

It looked like he had been lost in thought, judging from the way his voice snapped him out of it. Looking over towards Hunk, Keith blinked. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if we should go after them." Hunk repeated. He didn't particularly mind.

Keith just let out a long sigh, one that sounded particularly irritated. "No. We should focus on getting the scaultrite back to the Castle. We can deal with the soldier later."

"Oh, okay." Hunk frowned, chewing on his lip. "Um, are you...?"

"I'm not mad at you." Keith cut him off. "I'm just frustrated."

"Because they got away with the scaultrite, or because I decided to free them?" Hunk asked. "I mean... you can be honest."

Keith just shook his head. "I promise it has nothing to do with you, Hunk. You were just trying to do what you thought was right. I can't hold that against you."

"Oh, that's uh... that's good then." Hunk said, trying to evaluate his fellow paladin- but unless turning back into a Galra had drastically altered his body language, it honestly seemed like he meant it. He let out a faint sigh of relief at that. They were about to face down Zarkon- the last thing they needed to be doing was creating any bad blood between them.

Lifting his head, Keith frowned. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Hunk blinked, not quite expecting the apology. "Oh, uh... it's fine, really. Just... do you uh, do you have some kind of personal history with that solider?"

"Not exactly." Keith said.

Before he got a chance to ask what he meant, a loud beeping caught both of their attentions. At first he thought it was coming from the yellow lion, but Keith moved to dig something out from a chink in his paladin armor- a small transmitter, barely larger than one of his fingernails.

Watching wordlessly as Keith activated the holoscreen, he watched as the red paladin's brow furrowed. "It's from Kolivan."

Hunk winced. The timing was a little too good for him to be totally comfortable. "Uh, you don't think he knows about the...?"

Keith just snorted, and he could have sworn that he rolled his eyes. "He's not psychic, Hunk."

Hm, fair point. Watching with one eye as Keith accepted the transmission, he honestly couldn't gauge anything from Kolivan's expression. He always looked stern to him- wouldn't want to play poker with that guy, that was for sure.

"We have just received an update from one of the monitors we put into place on the Balmera." Kolivan began, skipping any preamble. "The creature is beginning to show signs of activity. I have been trying to reach the princess, but she isn't responding to any of my transmissions."

Hunk froze. The Balmera? That was where Shay and her family were- and where Allura had been heading, when they had last seen her.

He was already plotting a course for the Balmera by the time Keith told him to.

* * *

She was silent for most of the flight back.

Once free of the Weblum, she had used the emergency transponder in her armor to contact Lotor. She was annoyed to learn that she had been trapped in that Weblum for more time than she thought- if it hadn't been for the paladins, she might still be stuck inside its gut. It was not a thought she cared for- not the idea of her rotting away inside a Weblum, nor the fact that she had been rescued by the paladins of Voltron, of all people.

She had heard rumors of their return- but it would appear they were true. What she hadn't heard was the fact that one of them was _Galra_.

Her lips curled into a tight frown as she recalled the red paladin- _Kyix_ , she had been given his name as. Lotor had heard rumors that there were Galra working against the Empire, but it would appear that they were also true. It certainly explained the degree to which the red paladin desired to kill her.

Acxa suspected that if the yellow paladin had not been there to stop him, he would have fulfilled that threat. Being murdered by a renegade soldier was still the better option, between that and decaying in a Weblum's gut, but if she had to choose, she would much rather choose _living_.

At least she had been able to complete her task. Not as planned, but she had.

And she had something to report to Lotor.


	19. alive

I was going to finish this yesterday, but I got a bit held up. I went to see the light show at the local botanical garden with my mom before it ended for the season... very nice, very pretty, but it does always give me just a bit of a headache afterwards. Totally worth it though. Anyways, here's the next chapter! With this, we're just two chapters away from the end! We've got the climatic battle coming up next, so look forward to that!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter nineteen**

 **alive**

* * *

"Did you see the yellow lion off, princess?"

"They're off." Allura replied. "Let us hope the Weblum tracker still works."

"Oh, it should." Coran said. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll be fine."

Worried? Yes, she supposed she was. It was difficult _not_ to be, when the stakes were as high as they were. If even one of them were to fail...

...well, at least they would live to fight another day. But a chance as good as this might not come around again for a long time- failure was simply not an option at this point. She couldn't waste the best chance they had at taking down Zarkon.

"I am certain they will be." Allura said finally. "Is everything ready for your journey to Olkarion?"

"I've got the teleduv blueprints all ready to go." Coran told her. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself, princess?"

Allura merely gave him a weak smile. "I won't be alone. The mice will be with me. And Kaltenecker, I suppose."

"Ah yes, the cow." Coran hummed. "I never did get a chance to ask Lance just what exactly a _cow_ is, mind you. I suppose it'll have to wait until after he comes back."

"I suppose it shall." Allura agreed, before letting her smile drop. "I- Coran, there's something I have been meaning to talk to you about."

Coran gave her an understanding smile. "It's about Kyix, isn't it?"

Nodding, Allura frowned. Now that the heat of her anger had a chance to cool, she almost wanted to avoid the subject. After all, Coran had been right to trust Kyix- but it still did not change the fact that he had seen fit to lie to her, if only through omission. For someone that she viewed as a second father to keep something like that from her, she...

...she felt saddened by it. It felt as if he couldn't trust her in the same way she trusted him. She knew that was not true, and yet, the feeling remained.

Coran merely sighed. "I didn't want to keep it from you."

"I know." Allura said. "It was not your secret to tell. And... you were right, I think. We _can_ trust him."

She might still have her apprehensions about working with the Galra, but that much was clear.

Coran smiled. "That you can. But still, it doesn't change the fact that I lied to you. I'm sorry, princess."

"I know you had good reason for it," Allura began, "-and I know that you would have never hidden the truth if you did not think Kyix was trustworthy, but I still... you are like family to me, Coran. I would hope that there would be no secrets between us."

"I understand." Coran told her. "And from now on, I promise, there won't be."

His voice was sincere, and she knew that she could trust him. He likely hated lying to her just as much as she hated having been lied to, if not more.

"Apology accepted." Allura told him. "Just promise me that you will stay safe."

"Oh, I'll be fine." Coran assured her. "Why, I'm quite certain that my mission is the least dangerous of them all. But I'll get that teleduv built. You can count on me, princess. And the Olkari, since you know, they'll be the ones actually doing the building."

"I know I can." Allura said, not hesitating for even a second before she wrapped the older Altean in a warm embrace. "I will see you soon, Coran."

Coran merely smiled, returning her embrace. "Your father would be proud, you know."

She couldn't say anything to that, instead simply nodding. They stayed that way for several doboshes, before they finally parted. Taking a step back, she smiled at Coran, watching as he boarded the pod and made preparations for departure.

Then she was alone. Or well... nearly. Perhaps now would be a good time to try out those road trip games Hunk had taught her. She was certain the mice would love them.

* * *

"Any luck with the princess?"

Keith just grunted, clearly frustrated. "No, nothing. She's not answering the coms."

Hunk paled. That was exactly the answer he had been afraid of. "What did Kolivan say? Did he say how much time we have before that monster breaks free of the crystal? Because that could be really helpful right about now."

Keith just shook his head. "Probably not longer than a few doboshes. Can't this thing go any faster?"

"I'm already going as fast as I can!" Hunk protested. "The yellow lion just wasn't built for speed!"

Gritting his teeth, Keith dug his claws into the back of the pilot's chair. "Can't this thing wormhole on it's own? Like the blue lion did?"

"I don't think Yellow can do that." Hunk told him, the yellow lion purring in apologetic affirmation in his head. "Nope, yeah, definitely can't do that."

In any other situation, the frustrated growl that Keith made would have caused him to flinch. But given the circumstances? He'd probably be making that same exact noise if, you know, he could, which he couldn't.

"It's okay." Hunk said. "I mean, the princess has the Castle with her, right? She can use that to create a wormhole and we can get there in like, the blink of an eye."

Honestly, he was just trying to convince himself. This situation stunk, and he knew it. No offense to Yellow, but it was kind of making him wish that they had come here in the red lion. At least then maybe they would get to the Balmera faster.

He just hoped Allura got to the Castle before the robeast broke free.

* * *

She was barely able to get the particle barrier up in time.

She had raced to the bridge faster than she thought possible, but it still didn't feel as if it were fast enough. Once the particle barrier was up, only then did she give herself a second to actually catch her breath.

But only a second. She could not afford to spend any further time, not when that monster that Zarkon had sent back during their liberation of the Balmera had seemingly come back to life. She didn't even need to stop to look to know that Kolivan had attempted to send several transmissions in her absence- she was starting to regret switching off the com feature of her earrings whilst on the Balmera. She had done it out of respect for the ritual in which she was about to engage, but perhaps she shouldn't have.

Though she wasn't certain what difference it would have made. The Castle's weapons barely had an effect on the monster, not when it was using pieces of the very crystal that had held it captive to protect itself.

Just looking at it made her shudder. Even without its head, it still moved- just what kind of foul magic had been used to create such a thing?

She began to understand now why Kyix had reacted so negatively to it. It truly was monstrous. But if she were to defeat it, she would need to call him back here, to fight it a second time. Not just him, either- no, if they stood any hope of defeating this monster, this _robeast_ , then she needed all of the paladins here.

She just needed to buy time for them to arrive.

* * *

They came out of the wormhole to an overwhelming feeling of nausea.

Biting back the urge to vomit, Keith glanced down at Hunk, who, while a bit freaked out, seemed otherwise fine. Right. It was just him. Of course it was. He hadn't exactly forgotten just how sick to his stomach this particular robeast had made him feel, but this time it was somehow even worse.

But he couldn't let it get to him. They had to beat it, for real this time. And in order to do that, they needed all five lions. So he held it together. He didn't have any other choice.

Even when the yellow lion was struck by one of the robeast's beams, and he swore that he could feel its energy tearing through him, he held it together. He couldn't afford to be Voltron's weak link.

He held it together even when one of the robeast's beams nearly struck _him_ \- any closer, and he would have been disintegrated, not just blown back. He held it together even though all he wanted to do was curl in on himself and shiver, not because he'd just stared death in the face, but because he couldn't get the sensation the energy skirting so close to him had left him with.

He held it together when they formed Voltron, because he had to. They needed the sword. Things might be more open between them now, but he still kept his end of the bond closed. The other paladins didn't need to feel what he was feeling. Maybe in future battles, he would let them in, but he didn't want to risk potentially compromising the entire team.

He held it together all the way to the red lion's hangar, and then he couldn't hold it together any longer.

* * *

Instinct drew him to the red lion's hangar.

He hadn't forgotten the way that Keith had passed out after their previous battle with this same robeast. It had been a scary time.

He'd seen the shaky way Keith had flown the red lion back to the Castle, felt his hesitation to fully partake in the paladin bond. Hunk had told him that Keith had looked a little pale, slightly more obvious with his purple skin. He'd probably be here too, if he hadn't headed to the Balmera to check on Shay and her family.

Maybe he didn't actually have anything to worry about. Maybe he'd be fine- he had been after the last robeast they fought, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to be there.

When he got to the red lion's hangar, it almost seemed to be waiting, crouched down to let anyone enter. That _probably_ wasn't a good sign. Shiro wasted no time entering the cockpit, only to find Keith slumped over in the pilot's chair, his breaths shallow.

Swearing underneath his breath, he made a futile attempt to lift him, only to buckle under the red paladin's weight. He was a lot heavier than he remembered- denser bones, maybe. Probably something to do with his transformation- or the _reversal_ of it, he guessed.

Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who had noticed that something was amiss. He just didn't expect it to be _Allura_. She took one look at the way his knees had given out, and then promptly moved him aside, scooping Keith's unconscious form up into her arms.

"Come on then," she said, "-he will be better off in the med bay."

Staring up at her, Shiro quickly shook off his stupor. Right. It was easy to forget just how strong the princess was sometimes. Hauling himself to his feet, Shiro fell into step behind her. Once they left, the red lion righted itself, seeming to look at them with watchful eyes as Allura carried her paladin away.

Thankfully, by the time they got to the med bay, Keith's breathing had stabilized. Allura checked him over anyways, but eventually concluded that the best for thing for him was to simply sleep it off. Given the source of his exhaustion, she'd probably know best.

Once Keith was settled, the plates of his armor removed, Shiro looked over towards Allura with a slight frown. "How did you know to come to the hangar?"

Allura gave him a weak smile. "I was aware this might be a possibility. I thought it best to check."

"Well... thanks." Shiro told her. "I'm not sure I could have moved him by myself."

"You and Lance managed the last time." Allura pointed out.

"Yeah, well, he's a lot heavier this time around." Shiro gave a weak chuckle. "Guess maybe that's a Galra thing."

Allura nodded in understanding. "That is relatively normal for a Galra. They do tend to be a heavy sort. If anything, I would say Kyix is a bit too _light_."

Shiro had to bite down on his tongue to keep himself from protesting that no, he wasn't remotely light. Instead, he pushed himself to his feet. "I should probably tell the others."

Allura just shook her head. "Stay. I will inform the others."

Shiro frowned. "Are you sure? I could-"

"I need to set a course for Olkarion anyways." Allura told him. "And I hear that you had... quite the time with Slav. You could use a break yourself."

Shiro grimaced. "That's a nicer way than I would have put it."

"Yes, I am starting to understand why Kyix was so adamant to not be a part of that mission." Allura admitted. "He is... quite the character."

Arching a brow, Shiro wondered if being diplomatic was just Allura's default setting. She was right though- he could understand why it was that Keith didn't care for Slav. He'd have to have a chat with him about not warning him properly about just what he'd be dealing with, but that could wait until after they defeated Zarkon.

"In that case, I'll take you up on that offer." Shiro said. "Thanks."

Allura merely smiled. "It is the least I can do, after everything."

 _Everything_ had to be the negative way she had reacted to Keith's revelation. It was good to see that she was already working to make amends. He was sure Keith would appreciate it- when he regained consciousness, that was.

He'd be here when he did.

* * *

"So... how's he doing?"

Giving Hunk a weak smile, Shiro glanced over towards Keith. He had been sleeping ever since the fight with the robeast, though Coran had assured him his vitals were fine. He knew the Altean was right- that with a little rest, he'd probably be better, but in spite of that, he couldn't help but worry.

They had to find a way to deal with this. They might have a plan to defeat Zarkon, but if it didn't work, he would probably only continue to send robeasts after them. And while this was the only robeast that had managed to get such an extreme reaction from him, there was no telling if something like this might happen again.

He'd talk to Allura about it later. Right now they had to focus on the mission ahead of them. From the sound of it, construction on the teleduv was almost complete.

"Coran says he'll be fine." Shiro told him. "Just needs some rest."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Hunk offered him a weak smile of his own. "Good, because you have no idea how worried I was when I heard he fainted again. I mean, I knew he looked a little pale when we were dealing with the Weblum, but..."

The Weblum. Right. He needed to talk to Hunk about that.

"You mentioned that." Shiro said. "I think you also mentioned something about some kind of interference?"

Hunk winced. "Yeah, yeah, I guess you could say that. We, uh... we ran into company. Galra company."

"Imperial?" Shiro asked, narrowing his eyes. When Hunk nodded, he stood up. "Hunk, why didn't you mention something like that sooner?"

"It's fine!" Hunk quickly said. "Nothing happened! Well, I mean, they stole a bag of scaultrite, but hey, nobody got hurt."

Heaving a sigh, Shiro ran a hand through his hair. "Even if nobody got hurt, that's still something you should have mentioned."

"Well, I mean... I'm mentioning it _now_ , right?" Hunk told him. "And it didn't seem like the right time before. I mean... you seemed pretty worried about Keith. Not that I can blame you, but..."

He had a point, he had to admit. "Do you know what the Galra soldier was in the Weblum for?"

"I'm going to guess it was for scaultrite, seeing as they stole a bag of it." Hunk told him. "But it was weird. Their ship and their armor... I've never seen a Galra with that type. If Keith hadn't told me they were an imperial soldier, I might not have even guessed."

Brow crinkling, Shiro frowned. "Maybe they were a different type of solider?"

He'd seen a handful of variations during his time as a Galra prisoner, or at least, he was pretty certain that he had. His memories were still pretty blurry.

"Maybe." Hunk said. "I tried asking Keith, but he kind of seemed like he didn't want to talk about it. All I know is that whoever they were, he didn't like them, which... is actually a huge understatement now that I think about it, considering that I had to like, physically restrain him from stabbing them to death when they couldn't defend themselves."

Shiro's frown only deepened. That... didn't sound like Keith. At least, not the Keith he knew. That said, Hunk had no reason to lie to him- and it wasn't like he knew _everything_ about Keith.

"I'll talk to him about it when he wakes up." Shiro promised. He was sure he probably had a good reason for it.

Hunk bobbed his head in acknowledgment, casting a fretful glance over towards Keith. "He will, right? Wake up, I mean. I know you said he's fine, and he did last time, but..."

"Hunk," Shiro began, "-I promise, he's going to be fine. Why don't you head back to your room and try to relax a bit? You've had a long day. We all have."

Hunk chewed on his lip, but finally nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you're probably right. Take some time to unwind before we have to face down certain death. You know, _again_."

That was a joke, if not a wholly nervous one. Snorting, Shiro shook his head. "I don't think we'll have to worry about that. As long as we succeed in disabling Zarkon's ship, we should be fine."

They did- but Hunk and the other paladins were just kids. If he could take any of their worries off their shoulders, then he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Hunk didn't look convinced, but he seemed to appreciate the effort all the same. "In that case, I think I will take you up on that offer. I could kill for a hot shower right about now. Be honest, do I smell like Weblum guts?"

"You smell fine, Hunk, I promise." Shiro assured him.

Reassured, if still not totally convinced, Hunk excused himself. Heaving a sigh, Shiro slumped back in his chair, glancing over towards Keith. He hadn't stirred, but he didn't expect him to. He'd slept through Coran poking and prodding him, so he doubted he was going to wake up quite so soon.

It was funny. He'd always wanted a little brother. He could still remember begging his mom for one when he was little, before he understood that wasn't how it worked. Even after he'd grown up, he'd never totally lost that desire. When Keith had entered the picture, he'd thought his wish had come true, even if it was probably just one-sided on his part.

He guessed that was just what happened when you wished for a little brother on the stars. You got one _from_ the stars.

* * *

Groaning, Keith's eyes fluttered open.

He nearly had to shut them again, the lights in the med bay were so bright. He must have passed out again. Great. Dimly, he could hear someone shuffling around. Coran? No, he was on Olkarion. Then again, he had no idea how much time had passed, so maybe they had already landed.

"Keith?"

Oh. Shiro, then.

Turning his head, he squinted, the lights not as bright this time. Either Shiro had turned them down, or his eyes had just adjusted accordingly. Either way, he could see Shiro's worried face, plain as day. He hadn't even changed out of his paladin armor.

"How long-?"

"Three hours." Shiro told him. "Not that long. Do you want to rest some more? There's still plenty of time before the mission."

He frowned. Three vargas was a lot of time when they were this busy. But as much as he wanted to get up and do something, he knew it was better that he probably rested. "Are we on Olkarion?"

"Just landed an hour ago." Shiro told him. "Coran popped in to check on you, but he seems to think all you need is just a bit of rest. I guess the robeast took a lot out of you."

Keith grimaced, turning his head away. "Yeah. Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize." Shiro told him. "You did great, considering."

"I still passed out afterwards." Keith said. "What if there had been another attack? You'd be down one lion."

"We'd manage." Shiro assured him. "I'm just glad you're alright. Was it bad?"

Nodding, Keith just stared up at the ceiling. It had to have been the corrupted Balmeran crystals that did it, or maybe it was just the fact that the monster had revived after being in state of near death. Maybe it was because he had just come back from a graveyard of dead planets, planets that by all accounts, shouldn't be dead.

Eyes snapping wide open, Keith pushed himself up into a sitting position. The dead planets. That was right, he needed to talk to Kolivan- him and Allura. If the _komar_ was operational then...

He blinked, struck by a sudden smell of dizziness. If it hadn't been for Shiro bracing him, he probably would have collapsed, but as it was, he managed to shake it off.

"You okay?" Shiro asked. "What's wrong?"

"Is Kolivan here?" Keith asked. "I need to talk to him about something. It's important."

"He arrived with Antok just a short while ago." Shiro told him with a frown. "Did something happen while you were in the Weblum? Hunk says you ran into a Galra soldier."

Right. He should have known Hunk would mention that. "It's not about that."

"You sure?" Shiro asked. "Hunk said it seemed pretty personal."

Keith frowned, wondering just how much Hunk had told him. He guessed it didn't matter. Once they defeated Zarkon, they would probably have to deal with Lotor. It would have to all come out in the open at some point. Just... not right now.

"Look," Keith began, "-we can talk about that later. This can't wait."

Shiro didn't look convinced, but in the end, all he did was heave a sigh. "Alright. We can discuss it later- on the condition you stay here. I'll get Kolivan."

Keith just nodded. He didn't have a lot of ground to protest, and honestly? Right now, he just kind of didn't feel like it. Shiro was right- he did still need to rest. "You should probably get the princess too. I think she's going to need to hear this."

Shiro nodded. "I'll get her. You try to rest a little more. I think we've _all_ had a long day."

Keith just arched a brow at that. Orchestrating a prison break and then having to fight a robeast did sound exhausting, but somehow, he didn't think that was what Shiro was referring to. In fact, he was positive it wasn't.

"I take it you talked to Slav, huh?"

"Yes," Shiro said, his lips set in a tight frown that spoke volumes to his annoyance, "-and we'll be talking about that later."

Snorting, Keith ducked his head. Right. He probably should have warned Shiro about Slav's... _eccentricities_ , but words only did so much good when it came to Slav.

Thankfully, Shiro seemed to take it in good humor. Giving his shoulder a light squeeze, he excused himself. Watching him go, Keith heaved a long sigh, allowing himself to collapse back into the cot, shutting his eyes for just a moment. Maybe becoming Galra again had made his reaction worse.

At least now he had an excuse not to go back to Olkarion with the other paladins. He didn't think showing himself to the populace would be such a good idea. He didn't know how Ryner and the other Olkari would take to the idea that one of the paladins they had trusted was actually Galra, especially after their own king betrayed them.

He wondered what happened to Lubos. He hoped they killed him. That was the only fate traitors deserved.

His father hadn't been an exception. He just wished it hadn't come at such a high cost.

* * *

When Princess Allura had informed him upon his arrival that Kyix was recovering in the medical ward, it did not take him by surprise. He had already been briefed on the aftereffects of his previous battle with what he believed the paladins were calling a _robeast_. It was not that he was wholly unconcerned, but simply that he trusted the Alteans assessment of the youngest Blade's condition.

They would have more reason to understand Kyix's _reazit_ than he did. As leader of the Blade of Marmora, he ensured that he was a walking vessel of knowledge of old Galran culture- preserving the forgotten ways was yet another way to resist Zarkon's tyranny- but there was a difference between knowing and _understanding_ , and he was not so proud that he could not admit when one had a deeper understanding than he.

He was, however, pleased to hear that he had awoken from the black paladin. Less pleased to hear that he was asking to speak to him- both him and the princess, on matters that appeared to be of some importance.

He had already been briefed on his... _encounter_ in the Weblum. Based on the description of the Galra solider's armor that the yellow paladin had given, he concluded that the solider they met was likely one of Prince Lotor's generals- which would also explain Kyix's behavior. That was something he would need to speak to Princess Allura about, but it could wait until after they defeated Zarkon.

Still, he was glad to see that Kyix looked well- exhausted, but that was to be expected under the circumstances. He seemed to brighten a bit when he entered, and Kolivan would not deny the faint smile that tugged at his own lips.

"Kyix," he began, "-it is good to see you awake. The paladins informed me that you were resting."

"Which you should still be doing." Allura added, looking a bit cross.

"I know," Kyix said, "-and I will. But there's something I need to tell you both first."

Allura merely arched her brows. "I'm listening."

Nodding, Kyix bit down on his lip. He recognized the lapse of silence as the youngling trying to collect his thoughts, and allowed him to. "Did Hunk tell you about the dead planets?"

Allura nodded. "Yes, he mentioned it. Something about an asteroid strike?"

Kyix just shook his head. "I wish that's what it was. But I felt... there was something about them that felt _unnatural_."

"Unnatural?" Allura frowned. "Unnatural how?"

Chewing on his lip, Kyix considered her question, before ultimately shaking his head again. "I don't know. I just know that whatever it was that destroyed those planets, it couldn't have been anything natural."

Kolivan felt himself tense, eyes narrowing. "You're speaking of the _komar_."

"The _komar_?" Allura questioned, turning to look at him. "What is this _komar_?"

"The _komar_ is a weapon." Kolivan stated. "One that Zarkon's witch has long been rumored to be working on. Supposedly it has the ability to drain the quintessence from an entire planet in an instant."

Allura paled- and rightly so. If the _komar_ was operational, this was grave news indeed.

"If this _komar_ is operational," Shiro began, "-do we need to call off the mission?"

"No." Kolivan said. "If the _komar_ is truly operational, then that is all the more reason we need to destroy Central Command now. If what Kyix says is true, then Zarkon has already been using it to drain the quintessence from planets."

Turning towards Kyix, Allura's brow furrowed. "You are certain of this? Perhaps what you were sensing was merely the fading quintessence of the planets."

"No," Kyix admitted, "-but I can't think of anything else that would cause that sensation. I felt the Balmera when it was dying. This was... this was different."

At his words, Allura's expression only grew more grave. "Then I fear Kolivan is right. We must destroy this _komar_ before it can be used again."

Allura turned back towards him. "Do you think your spy can gather any information on it? I would hate to go in blind."

"Doubtful." Kolivan admitted. "If Thace has not yet heard of the _komar_ being functional, then I doubt he will. Even within the upper ranks, Zarkon still enacts considerable information control. It may very well be that none outside the druids and the Emperor himself even know about it."

Closing her eyes, Allura heaved a sigh. "Then I suppose we have no choice. The operation will go on, as planned."

"I'll let the other paladins know." Shiro said.

"Please do." Allura told him. "They deserve to know the full scale of what we are up against."

Shiro nodded, offering Kyix a small smile before he departed, presumably to inform the other paladins. Although he had only known him for a short while, he found that Kyix's assessment of him was correct- they could not have possibly asked for a better black paladin.

"I will inform Coran." Allura said. "Perhaps the yellow lion recorded some data that might be useful to us."

Kolivan watched as the princess also departed, before turning back to face Kyix. He flinched underneath his gaze, and he did not need deca-phoebs of watching his growth to know what was on his mind. For one who had been trained as a spy, he could sometimes be quite easy to read.

"...this is about Lotor, isn't it?"

"It is." Kolivan stated. "I have already been briefed on the complications you faced in the Weblum."

Kyix merely snorted. "Complications."

Kolivan narrowed his eyes. "You know that you cannot let your emotions cloud your judgement."

Kyix faintly growled. "What was I supposed to do? She was _right there_. I could have finished her off, if Hunk hadn't stopped me. That would have been one less general."

"And you would have lost a chance to gather valuable intelligence." Kolivan stated. "Should this plan succeed, we may finally see an end to Zarkon's reign. We cannot ignore the possibility that Prince Lotor might return to ignite the flame at the Kral Zera."

Clenching his fists, Kyix looked away. "I know, I _know_. I just... I just lost it, okay? You of all people should understand! You're the one who had to-"

Kyix cut himself off, gaze dropping to the floor. He understood his hesitance to finish that sentence. It was a decision that still weighed heavily on his conscience to this day.

Heaving a faint sigh, Kolivan closed the distance between the two of them. Resting a hand on Kyix's head, he let his claws lightly scrape against his scalp. The gesture returned a faint rumble from the youngling's chest, though weaker than he was accustomed to. Normally this was something reserved for a parent and their child, but as most of the main base had partaken in raising Kyix, such boundaries tended to be a bit weaker. He did not think Krolia would begrudge him.

"If I could take back what you had to witness during your trial, I would." Kolivan stated. "But we cannot change the past. We can only move forward."

Kyix swallowed. "I know, I just..."

"Lotor's influence goaded my own father into betraying the Blade of Marmora, betraying _mom_ , and-" he bit his lip, claws digging into his palms, "-and trying to kill _me_."

Closing his eyes, Kolivan let out a long breath. Knowledge or death.

But some knowledge was worse than even death.

"I do not expect you to forgive him, youngling," Kolivan told him, "-only to not let your anger blind you. It is liable to get you killed."

Kyix merely nodded, saying nothing. It would be enough for now.

"Now," Kolivan said, drawing his hand away, "-you should rest. The teleduv should be complete within the next few vargas, and the operation will begin tomorrow."

Kyix made a low noise of protest, but settled back into his cot. Though he was well aware time was of the essence, he lingered, until he was certain that he had fallen asleep.

He had long since dreamt of a world where Blade younglings could be raised without fear of Zarkon's rule. Perhaps with Voltron, they might actually have a chance.


	20. thace

We are one chapter from the end, and boy, what a roller coaster of a chapter it is! I nearly teared up in places writing this, alas. On a more fun note, it's my birthday next Sunday! That, of course, means cake. Granted I buy cake for myself like, all the time, because life is too short not to buy cake, but it means like... super good cake. And who doesn't like cake? Pie loving weirdos, that's who.

(I kid, I also like pie.)

Anyways, thanks for reading! See you next time for the last and final update of this particular entry into the story. And stay tuned for the sequel, _crimson_!

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter twenty**

 **thace**

* * *

The sun rose, as it always did.

He had been up for a few vargas already. He'd slept through most of the previous afternoon, and well into the night. By the time he woke, it was already early morning of the next quintant, and he was thoroughly refreshed.

In roughly one varga, the plan would commence. From his position in the observation deck, he watched as Coran and the Olkari put the finishing touches on the teleduv. It would be ready in time.

Finally, Zarkon's reign would be at an end.

 _If_ everything went as planned. He'd seen too many things go wrong in his short lifespan to fully believe that everything would go off without a hitch. Something would go wrong, he was sure of it, he just didn't know _what_.

Biting down on his lip, he thought about Thace. He might have secured a position as a commander, but that didn't give him protection from scrutiny. Now that Zarkon knew about the Blade of Marmora, he would stop at nothing to find the traitor within his ranks. Thace was well trained, but it would only be a matter of time before something gave.

He just hoped they were in time.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, that he didn't even hear the doors to the observation deck opening. It wasn't until he caught a whiff of Antok's scent, that he even realized the Blade was there. It came as no surprise- for as large as he was, he was every bit a Blade, and one who was generations older than he was. He was a master of stealth, just like any other.

"You seem troubled."

Offering Antok a weak smile, Keith glanced up at him. "That obvious?"

"You are like an open book to us, youngling." Antok merely remarked. "Here, a peace offering from the yellow paladin. I met him on the way."

Keith snorted at his choice of words, but nevertheless took what Antok was offering him. He sensed Hunk was still kind of nervous around Antok, which had nothing to do with the fact he was Galra, and everything to do with how _massive_ he was. It was probably for the best that he didn't tell him that Zarkon was even _larger_.

"He called it a _smoothie_." Antok intoned. "I believe it is composed of berries."

"Thanks." Keith said, taking a sip. This was perfect- he'd missed breakfast. Leave it to Hunk to know that, somehow. "I'll be sure to thank Hunk for it later."

The taste was good, though not as good as _vatvev_ \- or what Hunk had apparently decided to dub as a _meat shake_. He had tried to offer some to Hunk, but he'd adamantly refused.

Antok hummed, merely fixing his gaze on the massive teleduv. They had the perfect view of it from here. No need for him to go outside. "Do not tell me that you are having a case of the nerves."

"It's not that." Keith said. "I'm just worried about Thace."

"I understand." Antok said. "Though he does not show it, Kolivan is concerned as well. I am as well. I have known Thace for more deca-phoebs than you have been alive."

"You've known literally _every_ Blade for longer than I've been alive." Keith pointed out.

"I know," Antok said, with mirth in his voice, "-but it is always fun to remind you of you young you are."

Keith opened his mouth to say something to that, but snapped it shut. There was nothing that he could say to that, nothing that wouldn't amuse Antok, anyways, which was his goal.

Keith sipped his smoothie in silence, but a companionable one. He had his legs curled up to his chest, toes curled around the edge of the couch. He had already changed into his paladin armor- they might not launch for another varga, but he was still more accustomed to hearing armor than he was casual clothing. He kept his helmet off, resting on the couch next to him.

Antok remained where he was, hovering behind him. His presence was that of calm reassurance- something he could use right now. All he could think about was how he didn't want to accept any more blades. How he wanted Ulaz's to be the last.

It was a naive thing to think. He knew that. But being with the paladins really had spoiled him, in some way. He knew that people wouldn't stop dying just because he wished for it very hard- he had always known that. But he felt like it was just something he could accept less now. Like something had changed.

Maybe _he'd_ changed. Maybe his time on Earth, with the paladins, had changed him.

"You know," Antok began, "-I still have that scribble you drew on me after the Elzat raid."

Keith nearly choked on his smoothie. "That thing's still on there?"

Antok simply hummed, unclasping his left gauntlet, removing enough of his undersuit so that he could see the scribbled symbol, broken up by his scales. Keith grimaced, ducking his head. "Why did you let me draw on you anyways?"

"It seemed amusing at the time." Antok merely stated. "I did not know you were using something permanent. It is fortunate that I did not allow you to draw on my face."

Keith just snorted. "I wasn't exactly myself back then."

"A likely story." Antok teased, ruffling his head fur and pointedly ignoring his protests. "Your paladin armor suits you, youngling."

Staring down at his own gauntlet clad arms, Keith frowned. "I still like my Blade armor better."

Antok simply hummed again, his words earning his head fur another ruffle. He just grumbled this time, allowing Antok to muss it as he pleased. They had a decisive battle coming up. Maybe he just needed the stress relief. If playing with his fur helped, he'd let him.

Besides, it felt nice.

Together, they watched as the Olkari ran their last test. Allura had joined Coran at some point, though she was too far away to make out the expression on her face. The line of her back was as straight as ever, betraying nothing.

Today, the fate of the universe rested in their hands.

They couldn't fail.

* * *

"Shiro, wait."

For some stupid reason, he didn't actually think Shiro would stop. Time was of the essence- there wasn't time to stop and deal with a worried kid, which was pretty much what he felt like right now.

They hadn't had much time to talk. Even after he woke up, Shiro had been kept busy with the final preparations for their assault on Central Command, and he hadn't wanted to get in the way of that. But when he saw Shiro exit the bridge, he couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach that this might be the last time.

He tried to tell himself that it was nothing, but he still found himself following behind him anyways. Slipping off of the bridge unnoticed was easy, but he was sure he had to get back soon before someone noticed he was missing. He wasn't on thin ice anymore, but he didn't want to look like a flake.

"Keith," Shiro said his name- his _alias_ , he guessed, but at this point it kind of felt like just as much his name as _Kyix_ did- in surprise, "-something wrong?"

"I-" Keith began, before cutting himself off. He hadn't actually planned out what he was going to say, he'd kind of just done this on impulse. "Be careful out there."

Shiro just smiled. "You too."

"You're the one who has the job of baiting Zarkon." Keith pointed out. "All we have to do is sit and wait for Thace to upload the virus."

"Fair enough." Shiro admitted. "But somehow I think you didn't come all this way to just tell me to be careful."

Biting down on his lip, Keith averted his gaze. He hadn't. He just wasn't sure how to put it into words.

"I... when the druids tore Voltron apart, I felt it." Keith said. "And I know you can't sense it the same way I can, but... we don't know if Zarkon will try something like that again."

Understanding dawned on Shiro's features. Resting a hand on his shoulder, he gave it a light squeeze. "Black and I have a deeper bond now. I'll be fine, I promise."

Glancing up, Keith couldn't help but frown. He knew Shiro was probably right- since he'd deepened his connection with the black lion, Zarkon hadn't been able to track them with it. But he could still recall the way the druid's magic had effected him- and he hadn't even been the target, the black lion had. He just couldn't shake the worry that there was still a chance something could go wrong.

He didn't want to accept any more blades, but he didn't want to lose any of the paladins either.

Stars, he really had gotten selfish.

"Okay," Keith said slowly, nodding his head, "-okay. But I'm holding you to it."

Shiro just grinned. "I'm counting on you to."

He returned his grin, though his own was strained. He trusted Shiro, but he still couldn't fully shake his apprehension. "Now go out there and make Zarkon _really_ mad."

Shiro snorted. "I was planning on it."

Extending his arm, Shiro held it out for him. It took him a moment to realize what it was that he wanted him to do, but when he did, Keith quickly gripped his forearm. Shiro's smile grew as he returned the gesture, giving his own forearm a light squeeze. "See you on the other side, Keith."

"Yeah. See you."

* * *

Something was wrong.

He fought not to show it. He knew Kolivan and Antok sensed it too, but they remained stoic. He should too.

Thace hadn't contacted them.

Narrowing his eyes, Keith chewed on the tip of one of his claws. It was a bad habit that he had been trying to break- he thought he had, but it turned out the only reason he hadn't done it while on Earth was because he didn't have claws to chew on. Fingernails just weren't the same.

Shiro was on his way to the rendezvous point, where he would lure Central Command to. That was going according to plan. But Thace should have contacted them by now. If he hadn't...

He felt his stomach turn. Had he been captured? Were they too late?

When the Castle's screen blipped, indicating an incoming transmission, Keith felt his heart leap. He never thought he would be disappointed to see Shiro, but he guessed there was a first time for everything. Sinking back into his chair, hoping that no one noticed the slight way he had lifted out of it, he tried to keep his focus on the here and now.

"Zarkon's got my location." Shiro informed them. "Is everyone in position?"

"We've not yet heard from Thace." Kolivan stated. "He was supposed to contact us two vargas ago."

Keith glanced up, startled. Two vargas ago? He knew that sometimes transmissions couldn't be made at exactly the planned time- he was guilty of that, but two vargas seemed like it was a little too long. He bit his lip, feeling his breath hitch in his throat when Kolivan mentioned he could have been captured- he just didn't want to listen to Antok's addition that he could have been killed instead.

He tried to focus on the discussion between his fellow Blades and Allura. There was a crackle of tension in the room, an edge to everyone as they realized that something had gone wrong, that things weren't going as planned. As it was, right now they had the option to back out, to abort, but Allura was adamantly refusing to do so.

Without Thace, there was no mission. Kolivan was right about that.

But they also might not get another chance at this. Allura was right about that. She was wrong about the Blade's caution being the only reason Zarkon was still in power- she didn't understand just how fast and how aggressively the Galra Empire had expanded in the wake of Altea's destruction, using fear as their primary weapon of expanse. But then, she hadn't exactly gotten the same history lessons he had- to her, the destruction of Altea was still fresh.

But he knew the history. Isolated to the medical ward as he had been in his childhood, there wasn't much to do _but_ study. The Blade's caution really _was_ the only thing that had kept them alive for so long, kept the organization going for nearly as long as the Empire itself.

But maybe it was also time for that to change.

Zarkon knew about them now. There was no changing that.

And he didn't want any more dead Blades.

"I'll do it."

He didn't even realize the words had left his mouth, not at first. Rising to his feet, he squared his shoulders, trying to look brave. He didn't _feel_ brave- he just felt desperate.

This plan couldn't fail. They had lost too many Blades for it to fail. This was their best chance, and they couldn't afford to waste it.

Allura stared at him, baffled, like she hadn't heard him right. "What?"

"I'll sneak onto Zarkon's ship."

No taking it back now.

Kolivan stared at him for a long second before he narrowed his eyes. "Kyix-"

"I've infiltrated countless Galra ships before." Keith cut him off, knowing what he was going to say. It was behavior unbecoming towards his leader, he knew that, but right now, he just didn't care. "I can do this."

"Those were all standard cruisers. This is Central Command." Kolivan stated. "The risks are too high, and you are too inexperienced. I cannot send you a mission of this caliber."

 _You aren't ready_ , he heard. He couldn't really argue with that. He knew full well he wasn't. Going onto Zarkon's ship was a suicide mission. Thace had known the risks when he had accepted it.

But he had to do this. If Thace was... if Thace really had been captured- or killed, that thought like a cold stone in his gut- then he owed it to him to do it. The only reason his cover had been blown was because of Voltron- because of _him_. It was only right that he finish his mission.

So instead he locked eyes with Kolivan. Challenged him.

 _I'm doing this_ , he conveyed.

Kolivan closed his eyes after a few moments, heaving a long sigh. There was resignation in it, but Keith didn't feel victorious. "How do you plan to get on the ship?"

Okay, so he hadn't actually thought that far. In his peripheral vision, he spotted Pidge, something clicking into place. Turning her way, he leveled his gaze with the green paladin. "Pidge, do you think you can rig up one of those pods with the cloaking device?"

(Since he'd blown up the last one. Whoops.)

"Well, yeah." Pidge said, a bit hesitant.

Keith gave her a curt nod. "Good. I'll use that. If I come in quick and fast, they won't be able to stop me in time. Besides, with Shiro distracting them, they might not even notice."

Kolivan's lips were still set in that same tight frown, the one he always wore when he did something that he didn't approve of. But they both knew the stakes were different this time. This wasn't just him disregarding orders to take a chance on some data, this was him putting his own life at risk to carry out a mission that they still had the chance to back out of.

There was a good chance he might not make it out. He knew that.

They both knew that.

He also knew that to the Blade, losing him meant losing an entire generation. He sort of understood that better now than he had before.

But instead of saying that, Kolivan merely leveled his gaze with his once more. There was so much written in it, that he had to tear his own eyes away.

"Go."

He went.

* * *

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

Keith spared a glance down towards Pidge, his lips set in a tight line. "Yeah."

Pidge didn't look at him, making a show of installing the cloaking device. He knew she'd probably already pretty much finished hooking it up. "Do you know him? Thace, I mean."

Keith closed his eyes, thinking of Thace. Of his model ships, and his promises to teach him to fly once he was well. How he had kept that promise. How he had glowed with pride as he'd passed test after test, defying the limits of what everyone thought he could do.

He wondered if Thace knew he had become a paladin. If he was proud.

"Yeah," he said, "-I do."

Pidge finally looked at him, sympathy written in her gaze. "I'm sorry."

 _Don't say that_ , he wanted to say, _he might still be alive_.

But he knew the Galra Empire too well to really believe that. If Thace was still alive, then he probably wouldn't be for much longer.

Knowledge or death.

* * *

Okay, so maybe this was a bad idea.

It was too late to change his mind now. He was on Zarkon's ship, so the only way to get off it was to finish his mission. Or die, but that wasn't so much getting off it as it was... well, _dying_. Still, the place was crawling with sentries. Even the hangar he had all but crash landed in had been full of them- he'd had to fight them off just to get out of his pod.

Holding his stolen blaster tight, he weaved his way through the ship, following Kolivan's guidance. Thace had left them the gift of detailed schematics, and with those, he would be able to work his way to the central hub. From there, he'd hopefully be able to shut down the system so that Kolivan and Antok could upload the virus.

All while there was a battle raging outside, and Slav scrambled to keep the gravity generator working long enough to keep the giant teleduv hidden.

Good thing he worked well under pressure.

Still, he had to admit- being back in his element again felt good. It had been a long time since he had properly infiltrated anything- not since Sendak's ship, actually. There was the Balmera and the transportation hub, but those didn't really count.

(He filed a mental note away to teach the paladins a thing or two about _stealth_. No offense, but they could use a few lessons on it.)

Navigating his way through Zarkon's ship, he made his way to the central hub. He hesitated for a split second in front of the door- part of him still held on to the hope that when he opened it, he would find Thace inside, waiting for him, like this was some kind of high stakes test. But he knew better than to be that naive, so he pressed his hand against the access panel, finding nothing but an empty room.

Somehow, he was still disappointed.

He shook it off. Hurrying to the control panel, he rested his stolen blaster against it. "Okay, I'm in. What do I need to do?"

Following Kolivan's instructions to the letter, he entered the given code. Only, the console didn't seem to accept it. Maybe he'd entered it wrong? Or-

His ears twitched, making out the sound of someone coming. Grabbing the blaster, he scrambled out of view, hiding behind some equipment. Had someone realized he was here? He could probably fight them off if he had to, but he could consider his cover blown if he did. Best to lay low and see if they were actually-

He stopped, mid-thought.

Staggering into the room was none other than Thace. His condition wasn't great, and his chest bore the same kind of glowing wound that Shiro had gotten when he'd fought Haggar- but it was Thace. With a surge of joy, he nearly forgot he was in the middle of a stealth mission, but stopped himself short when he sensed the noxious energy he had come to recognize as belonging to the druids.

But they didn't sense _him_.

In one swift motion, he drew his knife, transforming it into a blade the same instant he threw it. It was enough to catch one of the druids off guard. They almost seemed to collapse in on themself, there one second and gone the next, taking their foul energy with them. For a moment, he stood there frozen, too baffled to comprehend what he had just witnessed. What had-?

But then the other druid lunged, and he shook it off. The battle that ensued was short- maybe he had lost the element of surprise, but Thace was a seasoned and experienced fighter, and he was quick on his feet. Between the two of them, they took care of the second druid before it had a chance to do any damage.

Leaving just the two of them.

"Kyix," Thace breathed, "-it's you."

Keith swallowed, but nodded. "We thought- we thought you'd been captured. Someone else had to carry out the mission."

"And you talked Kolivan into it?" Thace asked, snorting at the awkward smile he gave him in response. "That sounds like you."

"I'm just going to take that as a compliment." Keith said. "What happened to you? We couldn't get into contact with you."

"Haggar." Thace said shortly. "Come on, we need to seal off the central hub. I know a workaround, but it might take some time."

Giving him a curt nod, Keith forced himself to tear his gaze away from Thace. He was alive. Not in great condition, but _alive_. Maybe he wouldn't have to deal with another dead Blade.

Slashing the control panel, he short-circuited the door, sealing it shut. By the time he returned to the main control panel, Thace was already at work. He wished there were more time to talk, to catch up, but he knew how important every second was. They had already wasted enough time- with every second that passed, the gravity generator was getting closer and closer to failing.

Once it did, the teleduv would be exposed.

He watched with mild curiosity as Thace began to open up the control panel itself, linking it to some cables. Frowning, he tilted his head. "What exactly are you doing?"

Thace looked back up towards him. "I'm using the main power to overload the system."

It took him a second to understand what that meant, but his shock was visible when he did. "You're turning the room into a bomb?"

It would definitely work, but it would only leave them with a short time frame in which to escape. It was a risky move.

Thace looked grave. He knew that, Keith realized- he knew that, and had chosen this option anyways. "It's the only way."

"Are you sure?" He asked. "There has to be-"

"Kyix," Thace cut him off, "-there is no other way."

Shutting his mouth, he stared down at the floor. It was only a matter of time before the door was forced open- two dead druids wouldn't go unnoticed- and that would cut off their only means of escape. He could probably fight his way through, but Thace...

...in his condition, he wouldn't stand a chance.

He wanted to pretend otherwise, but he saw how heavily he was breathing. How much the battle with the druid had taken out of him. They had tortured him, he realized, likely within an inch of his life. But he hadn't caved- he'd held out, like a true Blade.

He should deserve to live for that alone.

Thace looked up at him, the edges of his lips curling into a frown. "Come now. Don't give me that look. It's been so long so we've seen each other."

"But you might not-"

Thace just shook his head. "This is the risk we all accept when we take on the mantle of a Blade. I know you understand this."

He closed his mouth. He did. He understood it too well. He'd just... for some reason, he hoped that with Voltron, things would be different. They were working together now. There shouldn't have to be any more dead Blades.

Voltron had changed things. They'd freed planets, brought hope back to the universe. Surely they could keep one Blade alive.

"We still have some time," Thace began, "-tell me about Earth."

He swallowed, looking up at him. "It's a dump."

Thace laughed. It wasn't loud, but the sound reverberated through the central hub. "I don't suppose you have anything nicer to say?"

Keith gave him a weak smile. "It has good people. Some of them, at least."

"Your fellow paladins." Thace said in understanding, unmasked pride in his voice. "Tell me about them."

So he did. He told him about how he had met Shiro first, about how he had wormed his way into his life. How he became the first human he actually liked. How devastated he'd been when he'd heard about the Kerberos mission's failure, and how much worse it got when he realized the truth behind it. How when Ulaz had sent him that emergency transmission, informing him that he'd freed Shiro, he'd been overcome with joy.

He told him about the other paladins, the cadets. How they had crashed his rescue. How they had tagged along to find the blue lion. How they had found the Castle, and became paladins together. He even told him his doubts about becoming the red lion's paladin, which sounded so laughable now to his ears.

He told Thace more than he'd told anyone else.

He was halfway through telling him about the Balmera, when he sensed a noxious aura from the other side of the door- one that could only belong to Haggar. He grabbed the stolen blaster, ready to defend against the first wave of sentries, but he knew their defenses wouldn't hold for long. If he didn't buy them more time...

One of the command modules that hung from the ceiling caught his eye. It was right above the door. It wouldn't hold forever, but long enough for Thace to finish setting up the workaround. But if he did that, he'd also seal off their only escape route.

"You can get out through the lower command deck." Thace told him, as if reading his mind. "Do it."

Keith narrowed his eyes. "But that would mean-"

Thace just shook his head. Biting down on his lip, he drew in a sharp breath, before he fired on the command module, dropping it down in front of the door. With that done, he felt his shoulders slump, resignation and realization of what he'd done both hitting him at once.

The only way out from here was a path that lead into open space.

He had a helmet. Thace didn't.

Resting a hand on his shoulder, Thace gave it a squeeze. He didn't even want to look at him. He knew what he would see if he did- the same look Ulaz had in his eyes, when he gave him his blade. The knowledge that he wouldn't be able to escape his own death.

"I'm sorry."

Keith shook his head. "Don't be."

He felt stupid, getting his hopes up. No more dead Blades.

There would always be dead Blades.

Drawing in a long breath, he forced himself to look up at Thace. He had one hand extended, his blade held out towards him. He accepted it without protest, giving him the stolen blaster in exchange.

"I'll make sure Kolivan gets this." Keith assured him. "I promise."

Thace smiled, wordlessly holding out his arm. He grasped it- and then pulled the older Blade close, in a tight embrace.

He knew it wasn't something the Galra did. It was a gesture reserved for families. But Thace and the rest of the Blades... they _were_ his family.

He didn't expect Thace to return it, but he did. He unconsciously melted into it, like he had been seeking it all his life. "Human culture rubbing off on you?"

"Shut up," Keith mumbled, "-this is supposed to be a moment."

Thace merely chuckled, releasing him. "It is not a bad thing, youngling. Now, go. They'll break through soon."

He swallowed back a protest. He couldn't say anything, not trusting his voice, so he just nodded. Taking one last long look at Thace, he forced himself to tear his gaze away, and jumped.

* * *

Perhaps it was just because the end for him was near, but Thace found himself reflecting on the beginning. Not his beginning, but Kyix's.

Kyix, who wore the armor of the red paladin like he always had been meant to. Perhaps he had. He recalled the way Krolia traced the red marks that lined the corner of his eyes, telling whoever would listen that they meant her child was destined for great things.

 _"Kyix,"_ she had said, after he was born, _"-I will name him Kyix. For he will become our pride."_

He wished he could tell her how right she was.

* * *

He didn't make it out into open space before the explosion ripped the central hub apart. He barely had time to get his shield up to protect himself from the force of the blast.

The red lion came for him. He knew it would.

He staggered into the cockpit, his steps feeling like lead, Thace's blade at his hip like a dead weight. Deja vu.

The red lion rumbled, low, but urgent. They needed to go, she told him. He knew she was right, so he steeled himself, forcing his body to move, even though all he wanted to do was to take a moment to process what he had just lost.

Again.

But he knew he had to. Thace had given his life for this chance. He couldn't allow the plan to fail because they were missing one lion.

They wouldn't fail.

 _He_ wouldn't fail.


	21. blackout

And here it is, the final chapter! The sequel, _crimson_ , should be up sometime in March, so stay tuned for that! I've also got some other things in the works that should prove interesting- at least, I hope they will. For those of you who have stuck with me since _burgundy_ , I thank you! And even those of you who have only discovered this series, with this, the final chapter of _maroon_ , I thank you as well! It's been quite the ride, and it's not nearly over yet.

* * *

 **maroon**

 **chapter twenty one**

 **blackout**

* * *

When they formed Voltron, Keith let his end of the paladin bond stay open. It was the first time, and the action didn't go without notice. He offered himself up to the bond, fully exposing everything that he had kept hidden in the battles they had fought before this, everything that he had been too afraid to show.

He was met with acceptance, not rejection. Even his bloodlust, a trait that was so markedly Galra in nature was brought into the fold without so much as the batting of an eye.

There were no words exchanged between them. There didn't need to be.

Instead, they focused on the task at hand. The virus would only disrupt the power on Zarkon's ship for twenty doboshes, so they needed to work fast. There were several targets that they would need to completely disable, effectively rendering Central Command beyond repair.

And with any luck, they'd take Zarkon out with it.

For the first time in his life, he actually thought that might be possible. That Zarkon could die.

He threw himself into the battle with everything he had. There was too much at stake for him to do any less.

Maybe it was because he was so focused, that he didn't notice it until it was too late. When he went over the chain of events in his head later, he could almost pinpoint the moment when he first felt that wave of darkness wash over him, but in the heat of the moment, he had dismissed it.

He wished he hadn't.

What he remembered was Shiro telling them to not lose focus. They had finished neutralizing the engine systems, and were moving on to attack the bridge. All he was thinking about was avenging Thace- him, Ulaz, and countless other Blades who had lost their lives for the cause. About righting the massive wrong that his people had inflicted on the universe.

That's when he felt- no, that's when he _acknowledged_ it. He had felt it earlier, but he'd just ignored it, pushed it to the side.

He remembered Lance asking what it was. He remembered his laser focus being shaken, the foul, twisted feeling rushing in all at once. It was all he could do to reflexively close off his end of the paladin bond to protect the others, so that the chaos it induced in his own mind didn't impact them.

He didn't remember it hitting. He never would.

But the impact... the impact, he remembered. He would probably never forget. It was like his very essence was being violently torn out of him, stolen.

He didn't remember screaming. He just knew that he must have.

* * *

 _"I don't know. I just know that whatever it was that destroyed those planets, it couldn't have been anything natural."_

He remembered the surety that had been in Kyix's voice as he said that.

He knew better than to doubt his _reazit_ , though he often did not understand it. None did, really, Kyix included. It was too vague, too ill-defined for any of them to truly get a grasp on. He knew it was a source of frustration for the young Blade, who would occasionally lament that it got in the way of him being an asset to the Blade.

Kolivan had always believed that one day, it could become a strength.

Now? Now he could only watch in horror as the komar proved itself very real, in one of the worst ways he could think possible. Even if he couldn't sense its energy the way he knew Kyix likely could, he could still tell that it was foul- a creeping, inky blackness that was visible even against the near pitch black backdrop of space, draining the energy from Voltron. From the paladins.

From _Kyix_.

His screams reverberated down the length of his spine.

He could not sense it. But the princess could, even from this distance. And if her horrified cry was any indication, then whatever she could feel was likely far worse for someone who was so close to it- and furthermore had no control of their own gifts.

"Is that it?" Allura weakly inquired. "Is that the komar?"

Kolivan swallowed, forcing himself to remain composed. If he were to be truthful, it was more difficult than he wished to admit. "I am afraid so."

"It's... it's dreadful." Allura whispered, her eyes staring off into the distance with unmasked horror, before she snapped out of it, scrambling to her feet with the aid of her advisor. "The paladins. What about the paladins?"

He could not give her a response. The komar was designed to drain the quintessence from planets. There was no way of knowing what it may have done to Voltron- or its paladins.

"Paladins," Allura pleaded, "-Shiro. Please, come in. Are you there?"

There was a long pause- too long.

"Princess," Shiro finally responded, his voice weak, but audible, "-we're here."

"Oh, thank the ancients." Coran said, his relief as audible as it was visible. "Is Voltron operational?"

There was a grunt. "It's not working."

He recognized the voice as belonging to the yellow paladin. _Hunk_ , Kyix had informed him.

"Was that," the blue paladin- _Lance_ \- spoke, sounding as if he were having trouble composing his words, "-was that it? Was that the komar?"

"I am afraid so." Allura told him. "You must get out of there. You may not survive another blast like that."

"I think... I think that's going to be a problem." The green paladin- _Pidge_ \- weakly replied. "My lion's not responding at all."

It was with a jolt that he realized that they had yet to hear from Kyix.

Antok picked up on his anxiety, for he stepped forward, his tail lashing behind him in a way that it only did when he was deeply concerned about something. "Kyix?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as it dawned on the Alteans that he had yet to check in. He did not need to see the faces of the other paladins to know that they were likely being hit with the same realization.

"Keith?" Shiro asked, using the name he had adopted on Earth. All the paladins seemed to. He had questioned it at first, but as it never seemed to bother him, he had simply let the issue lie. "Keith, are you there?"

"Keith, buddy?" Lance asked, his voice high pitched with concern.

"Maybe... maybe he's too out of it to respond to that." Hunk chimed in, unmistakably nervous, sounding doubtful of his own words even as he spoke. "Kyix? Kyix, come on buddy, you're really starting to freak us out here."

"Maybe he hit his head." Pidge reasoned, clearly trying to keep herself calm. "I could try leaving my lion to-"

"I'm fine."

A wave of relief crashed over him. Kyix's voice was weak, but still audible. He was alive.

"I'm fine," Kyix repeated, slightly more insistent this time, a slight whine underlining his words that he suspected the paladins were unable to hear, "-just- just took a lot out of me."

Shiro let out an audible sigh of relief. "Looks like we're all alive over here."

"Can't say the same for the lions." Kyix mumbled. "I can't feel Red at all. Or any of the other lions."

"Nor can I." Allura admitted. "But you must-"

"Wait," Lance cut her off, likely without meaning to, "-what's that?"

Kolivan didn't have to ask what he meant. He was already looking at it.

 _Zarkon_.

* * *

With awareness came a sense of creeping dread.

At first, he thought it was just residual energy from the komar. The blast had knocked him flat, rendering him briefly unconscious. From the sound of it, it had knocked out the rest of the paladins too, but clearly he'd been out of it for longer. Truthfully, he was still having a rough time shaking the effects off- he felt drained, weak, like he could barely move. He was pretty sure the only reason he still could was due to the paladin bond.

Voltron might be inoperable, but it remained.

Breathing out, he cautiously opened up his end once more. The worst effects from the komar were gone, so it was probably safe.

The first thing he picked up on was a spike of anxiety from Lance. Turning his head, he tried to focus on what it was that they were seeing- and at once realized just what that sense of dread was.

It wasn't because of the komar.

It was Zarkon.

Zarkon was coming right at them, and Voltron still couldn't move.

He watched, helpless, as Allura charged the Castle at Zarkon's armor. When he redirected the Castle's own weapons back at it, he swore Allura screamed as if she had been shot through directly. Knowing how connected she was to the Castle of Lions, it was entirely possible she had been.

This was bad. He knew that. They had gone from having a chance to defeat Zarkon to putting everything at risk in what felt like only a few doboshes. All because he had been too distracted to notice the komar.

No, it wasn't because of that, he tried to convince himself. Even if he had, there was no guarantee that he could have protected them from its effects. Even if he could have, he couldn't afford to dwell on what he _might_ have done- not when what he needed to be focusing on what he _could_ do right now.

Shiro was right. They _had_ to fight back. There was no way that Voltron could simply give in here, not after everything they had been through together. Not when the fate of the entire universe rested on the outcome of this mission.

Not when countless Blades had sacrificed their lives for this moment.

Drawing in a deep breath, he gripped Red's controls tightly. He could faintly feel her now, in the back of his mind. Briefly, he wondered if she had taken the brunt of the blast from the komar to protect him- if all the lions had.

If that was true, now it was his turn to pay back the favor.

Digging deep, he drew that faint sensation forward. The red lion purred, becoming stronger and stronger, until it was the only sound he could hear.

They hadn't lost yet.

* * *

"Are you alright, princess?"

Her eyes fluttered open, for a brief moment not understanding why she felt as if she were weightless. As she looked into Coran's eyes, laced with concern, the memories trickled back.

"I'm fine." Allura assured him, though in truth she felt nearly as weak as she had after she had restored the Balmera. But the situation was simply too dire for her to rest. "How badly is the Castle damaged?"

The picture Coran painted was grim- without any defenses in place, the blast from the Castle's own weapons had decimated their power levels. Every ounce of power they had was being diverted to either keeping the teleduv stable, or life support- they did not even have the leftover power to send any kind of transmission.

The Castle of Lions was out of the fight.

But the fight was still going. It heartened her to see that Voltron was back in the thick of it, having recovered from the blast that it had taken from the komar. She had nearly been afraid that it wouldn't, but it would seem that not all hope was lost.

Still, if they did not do something about it, then there was still a chance that all of this could have been for naught. Another blast like that...

She tried to shake off the thought, not daring to dwell on it. It had been too close as it was already.

They had to do something about the komar.

 _She_ had to do something about the komar.

"Kolivan," turning towards the Blade, she locked eyes with him, "-can you get me to the komar?"

There was something unspoken between the two of them in that moment. A connection that she was not even previously aware was there. In hindsight, she felt like a fool for not realizing it- she knew that to Kyix, the Blade of Marmora was like a family, and that Ulaz's loss had devastated him. It was why she had apologized for tainting his sacrifice.

But somehow it had not occurred to her that the Blade also thought of _Kyix_ as their family- as their youngling- but she did now. She had seen the nursery with her own eyes, seen the care with which Ilun had cradled her own youngling, and the clear way that Yugdul and Taiche had adored Kyix as if he were their own older sibling. She had watched the way he interacted with them, with a gentle fondness that reminded her so painfully of how things were before the war, before Zarkon's betrayal.

She had also noticed that there were no others Kyix's age.

And the look in his eyes when she had inquired about the location of the nursery... no. She could not afford to think about that now.

Kolivan seemed to understand. He was as concerned for Kyix as she was the rest of the paladins- Kyix included, of course. It was not simply because they were the universe's best chance of obtaining freedom, but because during the time they had spent together, she had grown close to them. Closer than she ever thought possible.

She could not stand the thought of something happening to one of them, much less to _all_ of them.

"It will be dangerous." Kolivan told her. "But I know a way."

"Good." Allura said. "You and Antok come with me. We will have to attack them directly if we hope to stop it."

Right now, the paladins were risking their lives to fight Zarkon. There was no way that she could sit here and do nothing as they did so.

Altea might be gone, but she was still its princess. For the sake of those who had been lost, and for the sake of those who were still fighting, she would fight to her last breath if necessary.

They would prevail.

* * *

And he thought Zarkon had been powerful _before_.

That had been back when he was armed with nothing more than his bayard. Now that he had his own suit of robot armor? It felt like just holding him off was all they could manage, and even that was proving difficult.

It didn't help that this was a battle on two fronts. They couldn't risk ignoring the komar. Allura was right- if it hit them again, they'd be finished.

Unfortunately, that also meant keeping his attention divided when he really needed to keep it focused fully on Zarkon. But he was the only one who could sense the energy from the komar, and therefore, was the only one who could warn them before it struck.

Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same thing about Zarkon.

The only silver lining was that he wasn't getting the same noxious sensation from this armor that he had gotten from the robeasts. Maybe it was because the method used to create it was different. Or maybe it was just because he still couldn't sense a single thing from Zarkon.

It didn't really matter, he guessed. Not when he was still kicking their asses.

Grunting, Keith gripped the controls of the red lion tight. Just when he thought they had gotten in a good blow with the sword, Zarkon had turned the tables on them. Now they were split up back into lions. Even worse, Shiro wasn't responding to the coms.

Guess he was right about Zarkon still trying to gain control of the black lion.

This was the second time he and the red lion had stood in Zarkon's way, keeping him from the black lion. The only difference was that this time, he wasn't alone.

He just didn't know if it would be enough.

* * *

There was something to be said for the element of surprise.

It had enabled them to take out two of Haggar's druids nearly at once, and deal damage to the komar while they were at it. Not nearly enough to destroy it, but at the very least, to remove it from the picture for the time being. If nothing else, the paladins could now devote their sole attention to fighting Zarkon.

That just left the two remaining druids- and Haggar.

They were just as foul as she remembered them. Knowing what she knew about them now, that they were _reazit_ that had been changed, altered in some unknown fashion, only made them worse. The knowledge that they had been stripped of their free will, transformed, likely while they were still younglings- it horrified her.

That Zarkon could do such a thing to his own kind, and to mere younglings at that... he truly had fallen far from the man he had once been.

Yet there was nothing she could do about it now. Tragic though their circumstances were, she could not afford to spare the druids any mercy because of it. Kolivan and Antok most certainly were not.

It was with Kolivan's aid that she defeated the first of the two remaining druids. They were far more powerful than she had anticipated, nothing like the _reazit_ she had once known.

And there was still Haggar.

In that instant, she suddenly realized that she had lost track of Zarkon's witch. Frantically searching for her, she spotted her half a tick too late, watching helplessly as she struck Antok with a powerful blast of lightning. He cried out in pain, the sound of it already sending Kolivan forward in a surge of motion, but deep in her heart, she knew that he would be unable to reach him in time.

She was about to witness one of her paladins' family members be slaughtered right in front of her. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Except... the fatal blow never came.

The druid struck with the intent to kill, but in that instant, something strange occurred. It happened too quickly for her to fully grasp what, but as she would recall it later, it was as if his left arm had _glowed_ , vivid white against the darkness. It was only much later that she would learn that it was not the arm itself, but rather, a mark that had been inscribed upon it- but whatever it was, it served to protect him.

For a tick, she simply stood there, stunned.

Then she realized she was not alone in that. Turning her gaze towards Haggar, she gripped her staff tight. Just as Antok quickly regained his own senses, and turned the tide against the druid he fought, she too made use of this second, unexpected element of surprise to strike against Haggar.

Her staff connected, knocking the vile witch back. She was poised to strike again, even as Haggar collected herself, lifting her head, the hood of her robe falling back to reveal...

No. It was impossible.

"You're," she half-whispered in clear disbelief, "-you're _Altean_."

With a horrifying sense of clarity, it clicked into place.

 _Honerva_.

* * *

Groaning, Shiro slowly returned to consciousness. His right arm trembled with the phantom of a pain that he knew wasn't actually there, the sound of his fellow paladin's voices dragging him out of the depths. He had no time to collect himself, to try and fully grasp his surroundings- not when what he heard was their screams, and what he saw was them struggling just to stay in the fight.

In the back of his mind, the black lion purred.

During his fight with Zarkon on the astral plane, he had come to understand the black lion better. He had sensed, for the first time, its overwhelming sorrow, saw just how deep its feelings of regret ran. It had watched the man it had once chosen as its paladin change before its very eyes, and had been powerless to stop him.

Now, stopping him was all it wished to do.

He thought he had understood that then. But now, watching his team cry out as they struggled to fight, to protect him... he understood it even clearer now. This was his team. He was their leader. He couldn't just sit back and allow himself to be protected. No matter what the cost was, he had to get in there and _fight_.

They had been protecting him. Now it was his turn to protect them.

The black lion responded to that desire with a roar. If that was his wish, then it knew a way. He had watched as the paladins connected with their lions on a deeper level, unlocking powers that they hadn't known of before.

Now it was his turn.

He didn't fully understand what had happened until he held Zarkon's bayard- _his_ bayard, Keith had corrected- in his hands. He watched as it changed shape, transforming from something that had become so twisted, into the shape it was meant to be in.

He felt the black lion's deep regret that the same could never be done for Zarkon himself.

The tide of the battle had changed. He could feel it. Even as Zarkon doubled his efforts, furious at the loss of his bayard, he could sense that this all was about to end, once and for all.

He just didn't realize that included him.

* * *

Keith ran.

He wasn't entirely sure where he was drawing the energy to do so from, but he must have found it somewhere. The blast from the komar, the battle with Zarkon... both had left him substantially drained, to the point where he felt like he could sleep for several phoebs and still not be fully recovered.

He didn't even know if they had truly won or not. The last blow they had struck against Zarkon had been decisive, but he was a ten thousand year old monster fueled by quintessence. It just felt like it would take a little more than a flaming sword to truly take him out. With the power to Central Command restored, there hadn't been a chance to confirm it- they'd had no choice but to retreat.

That was when he had noticed something was wrong with Shiro.

With the _black lion_ , to be more precise. It hadn't moved, floating dead in space. He'd had to tow it back onto the Castle with Pidge.

Right before they had unlocked the flaming sword, he had sensed Zarkon trying to force his way into the black lion. It had rejected him, but they had all heard Shiro's grunts of pain. Those alone would have been enough to send him hurrying to the black lion's hangar, but it wasn't that, that found him drawing on energy he hadn't known was there.

It was what he had felt _after_.

He couldn't explain it. It was like... like something was there, and then it wasn't.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who'd had the same idea. By the time he got to the hangar, Allura was already waiting with Coran just outside the black lion. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were all right behind him, each somewhat out of breath. It hadn't moved since they had towed it back, still lying crumpled in a heap on the ground.

It was a far cry from the noble beast it usually was.

It unnerved him.

"I sent Kolivan ahead to the med bay." Allura informed them, and for just a tick, her gaze lingered on him, looking at him a bit strangely. He didn't think much of it- he was too exhausted to, too worried about Shiro. "Antok took some damage in our fight with the druids, but he should recover. In the meantime, I asked him to prepare a pod for Shiro."

He tensed at that. They had fought the druids? Antok had gotten hurt?

He wanted to ask, but he bit it back. Antok was going to be fine. He didn't think Allura would tell him something like that unless she actually meant it.

"Does anyone know what happened?" Pidge asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that Zarkon was fighting him for control." Keith said.

"Do you think he...?" Hunk trailed off.

Keith shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

"Okay, okay, that's good." Hunk said. "But why isn't the black lion working?"

"And why isn't Shiro coming out?" Lance asked.

"I do not know." Allura shook her head. "But let us hurry."

He didn't have the energy to dispute her, even if he wanted to- and he didn't. Together, they made their way into the black lion. He couldn't sense anything from it- it was downright eerie. It reminded him too much of right after the komar had hit, and he didn't like it.

Something was wrong.

That much became clear when they made their way into the cockpit. The black bayard was still fixed in its port, right where Shiro had left it, but Shiro, he...

...he was gone.

* * *

Power may have been restored to Central Command, but Voltron's assault had left it severely damaged. The paladins had been able to successfully disable the engine systems before she had attacked them with the komar, rendering them unable to pursue the Castle of Lions as it fled.

It did not matter. She had more pressing priorities.

They had been able to recover the lord's armor. It had been severely damaged, but it would take far more than that to actually kill the lord emperor. Still, the battle with Voltron had left him drained, and using the untested armor had further robbed him of valuable quintessence. They would have to use a substantial amount just to restore him to full health, and even then, his fate was uncertain.

As it stood, he was unresponsive.

Seeing her emperor in such a weakened state... something stirred within her. She could not say what- just that was old, and deeply buried.

Whatever it was, she had no time to dwell on it. There was much to be done.

The damage to the komar was extreme- it was unlikely that they would be able to repair it. The damage to Central Command was currently being assessed, but initial reports indicated that it would be some time before they would be able to have it back up and running at full capacity.

She had no time to dwell on what had happened with the Altean princess either- nor did she have time to dwell on the strange energy that had protected one of the mutinous Galra who had arrived with her.

In time, she would. But right now, she only had one focus.

Several of Zarkon's top commanders were already waiting outside his quarters when she left. She was not sure if they were there in support of their Emperor, or if they were circling like scavenger birds, hoping to take advantage of this moment of weakness.

That she could not allow.

It was distasteful, but if she was to protect her lord's reign until his health was fully restored, then she must resort to certain measures she would otherwise not consider. She could not risk having a Kral Zera called. Her loyalty was to Emperor Zarkon, and to no other. Better then, to have one who shared his blood to sit on the throne, rather than one of these scavengers who would pick at his bones.

"Summon Prince Lotor."


End file.
